New Hero
by NeppyTheDork
Summary: The story of Overwatch's newest addition. A young boy devastated by war and rescued by Overwatch will have a hard choice to make, join them and try to change things for the better, or fail trying. Not much of a choice right? Follow him and his friends from Overwatch as they try to fix this mess of a world. But as they do, what evils are conspiring behind them?
1. Chapter 1: I'll Always Be With You

"Go go!" Alessandro yelled, opening the door and waving them forward. Once the three passed he entered and closed the door, blocking it with a chair. "Get under the stairs, stay quiet!"

"Don't worry, Daddy will come save us!" Rebecca cheered, smiling widely. Alessandro chuckled as he began going through the kitchen drawers. No matter in what situation they were in he could always count on Rebecca to be upbeat and positive, she'd always be smiling for them. He took a moment to look back on the three hiding under the stairs. His triplet sisters. Rebecca was holding onto the other two, talking happily and trying to assure them, Ruby had been crying but now she was quiet, listening intently to Rebecca. Jasmine was in shock, she was staring right at Alessandro but her eyes didn't seem to register anything. He couldn't blame her.

"Son of a bitch." He muttered as the entire building shook. He began searching the drawers again for something, anything, which he could use.

"Mommy wouldn't like to hear that." Rebecca called. "You'll need to put a coin in the jar." Alessandro laughed, giving her a nod.

She really always managed to be happy, just like him at her age.

"I want dad." Ruby muttered.

"Don't worry, I'm sure daddy and his friends are on their way right now. They'll fight these guys and get us out of here. You'll see." Alessandro said, going to his sisters and kneeling in front of them. "It'll be alright, and until dad comes I'll keep you safe."

"Promise?" Ruby asked.

"Promise." Alessandro answered, pulling the three of them in a hug. He held them at arms-length for a few moments before speaking. "Listen, I'm going to stay by the door. If someone comes in I'll throw something at you. If that happens I want you three to yell, just once. Ok? I'll take care of the rest."

"You won't leave us like mom, right?" Jasmine murmured, her eyes swelling with tears. She pulled Alessandro into a tight hug. "Please don't leave us!"

"I promise you, I won't ever leave you." Alessandro said, trying to sound confident. He smiled at the three and gently pried Jasmine off. He pulled out a quarter from his pocket and gave it to Rebecca. "For cursing. Now stay here and be quiet until I throw something or until I call you." The three gave him quick nods and he got back up, pushing the refrigerator in front of the small opening that led to under the stairs. He then walked back the drawer, gingerly pulling out a handgun from there. He always knew dad had hid a gun somewhere, but he never thought it would be hidden in the cracker drawer, under his endless supply of saltine crackers.

 _Can you even use that thing?_ A small, negative part of his mind said.

"When your dad's a soldier, you learn a thing or two." He said to himself, clicking the safety off and making sure the gun was loaded. He walked to the back of the room and hid in a shadowy corner, behind some boxes.

 _Mom was supposed to un-pack these later. I was supposed to help her by entertaining Rebecca, Jasmine and Ruby._

"Damn it mom, I needed you here." He whispered, his eyes tearing up. He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes, reminding himself that he couldn't cry. Not right now, not when he had three siblings to protect. His heart froze as he heard someone kick the door. One time, two times…the third time he could hear it swing open and hit the wall. He took a deep breath and grabbed the first thing he could, a spoon, throwing it to the stairs. A few seconds later his three sisters shrieked and four soldiers ran down. Just as he dreaded, the bad guys. They wore standard military assault gear and had the regular weapons, but their helmets…they covered their heads and faces with only two red lights where the eyes should be. It was almost enough to make Alessandro lose his nerve and try just to hide.

 _Hiding isn't enough. You need to do something. Right. Now._ The more positive, risk taking and absolutely insane part of his mind said. He found himself thinking of Rebecca and smiled. The four didn't see him and lowered their weapons, two of them gripping the sides of the refrigerator. Now was his chance.

"Karma bitch!" Alessandro yelled as he stood up and fired a bullet, hitting one of them in the head. He shot the second and ran behind a wall as the other two spun and took aim. He cursed and dropped down as the bullets teared through the sheetrock walls. When they stopped he quietly stood up, hearing them cautiously walking to where he was. He took a deep breath and as the first one rounded the corner he pushed the gun upwards, bullets flying through the roof. Alessandro kicked him in the balls and as he fell he shot him in the head, blood spraying on his face. If he had time to think he probably would've thrown up, or frozen. But the second soldier sprung around the corner and hit Alessandro with the butt of his gun, making him fall. He kicked the handgun away and stepped and Alessandro's chest, keeping him down.

"Those were my friends!" The soldier said, putting the barrel of the gun against Alessandro's forehead. "You'll pay for that!" He moved the barrel to Alessandro's leg, firing a single round. The poor boy yelled out in pain, reaching for his leg only to get kicked in the face. "Anything left to say?"

"You should...you should really consider joining your friends." He laughed, staring right back at the soldier. "You'd all have fun in hell." Even with his voice covered in pain he managed another laugh.

"You'll be meeting them shortly." The soldier said, pulling out his pistol and aiming it Alessandro's head.

"Man, wish I could take a present to them." He replied sarcastically, a smile on his face. "You're just forgetting one thing." He laughed as the soldier cocked his head to a side curiously. "There were other people in this house besides me."

"What?" The soldier murmured, then recognition hit him. The shrieks he had heard earlier…he spun and looked around, actually expecting someone to be behind him. The fridge was still in place, nothing else had moved.

"Idiot, course they wouldn't come out." Alessandro said, already standing up. The soldier turned to him, only to have a kitchen knife embed itself in his head. "Say hello to your friends for me. Pretty bad soldiers if I could take them down anyway."

"Alessandro? Alessandro are you ok?" Jasmine called.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Alessandro answered. "The bad men are gone, but I want you three to stay there."

"Where'd the go?" Ruby asked.

"Uh…" Alessandro looked down at the corpses and suddenly it hit him. He had done this. He had killed for men, and beaten for trained soldiers in a fight. _He had done that._ While part of his mind felt pride in this most of it began to feel sick and he fell on his good knee, losing his lunch. He wiped his mouth and began limping back to the stairs, using a wall as support. He fell down in front of the fridge, leaning his back on it.

"Are we safe now?" Ruby asked.

"Course we are! We have Ale!" Rebecca cheered. "He promised he'd keep us safe until dad came."

"Dad better hurry, taking care of you three is tiring." Alessandro said, laughing as he heard Rebecca complain.

"Is he really on his way?" Jasmine asked.

"Last time we talked he was in Minnesota, that's not too far from here. If the soldiers here need some help then I think he and his friends will come."

"Is Minnesota pretty?" Ruby asked. "Is that why dad's there?" Alessandro let out another hearty laugh.

"I'm sure it's a nice place. But he isn't there because of that." He was about to try and explain in a way that they could actually understand but before he could the building shook again. He frowned as dust and small bits of the roof rained around him. He propped himself up again and listened intently. His three sisters shrieked as another explosion, much closer, rang out and shook the house violently. He cursed as big chunks of the roof began falling.

"Rebecca, Jasmine, Ruby, get out of there!" Alessandro yelled, trying to push the fridge back.

"We can't the refrigerator is still here!" Jasmine yelled.

"Help me push if you can!" Alessandro yelled, slamming his shoulder against it and crying out as pain flared through his left leg, but he didn't care. He needed to get his sisters out. "Push!" He yelled again, feeling the fridge move a couple inches.

"You can do it Ale! You've done it before!" Rebecca cheered.

 _I did it when I had both my legs and chunks of roof weren't raining down on me._

He groaned and continued pushing, the big appliance moving at an incredibly slow pace, in his eyes. Through the small crack that had opened his could see Jasmine's hands trying to help push. He yelled in frustration and punched the fridge, turning and ramming into it again with as much force as he could muster. This time it tipped over and fell, but that was good enough. Jasmine crawled out of the half blocked hole, followed by Ruby and then Rebecca.

"Outside, now!" Alessandro yelled, leading them up the stairs, opening the door and waving them out. Before they could get out, a car, probably of some desperate civilian, appeared zooming about. It was showered in bullets and it swerved, heading for the house. Alessandro cursed and pushed the three back down, jumping right after them and landing on his back.

"The doors blocked, where do we go?" Jasmine asked fearfully as the roof came down around them.

"To the corner! Huddle in the corner!" Alessandro ordered. He forced himself up a moment later and went to them, hugging the three and using himself as a human shield.

 _When a building collapses you go to the corners, less chances of rubble falling on you…and if something falls it will hit me and not them._

"It'll be fine, it'll be fine. I'm keeping you safe. Don't worry guys, don't worry." Alessandro muttered. "Listen, I love the three of you. After this building falls I want you three to run and don't let anyone stop you. Find men dressed like daddy, listen to them."

"You said you wouldn't leave us!" Ruby complained, hugging him. Alessandro looked at each of them, smiling a bit. For once Rebecca's happy nature wasn't there, she looked worried.

"I'll always be with you three. No matter where and when, I'm always there." Alessandro said. "Here, and here." He said, tapping Rebecca's head and her heart. "I love you three so much, never forget that. Take care of each other for me." Alessandro said, closing his eyes and bracing himself as a final explosion sounded and the building collapsed around him.

…

…

…

"Don't worry love, cavalry's here."


	2. Chapter 2: New Blood

"W-what?" Alessandro muttered. He slowly opened his eyes. Where was he? What had happened? He groaned and rubbed his head, everything feeling sore.

"You're awake!" A deep voice said. Alessandro immediately jumped up, only to hit glass and lay back down with a groan. "Oh, sorry! I was getting worried there. My name's Winston." The voice, Winston, said. Alessandro looked to his right to see a gorilla's face smiling right next to him.

"Winston…Overwatch?" Alessandro murmured, trying to get up again. His head bumped the glass before he could go far and he frowned.

"Lay back down, you're inside a MAC. That stands for Medical Assistance Capsule. These things can heal nearly anything." Winston said. "I'd open it up but you're still very weak, and hurt. Mercy says it's best if we keep you there."

"Everything hurts, so I'd say she's right." Alessandro murmured. "What am I doing with an Overwatch agent?" He had closed his eyes again but they immediately shot back open and he tried to get up, banging his head again and groaning. "Why am I with an Overwatch agent?!"

"More than one, love. It's good to see you awake." A voice said. Alessandro looked to his left to see Tracer with her face almost pressed against the glass. He then took a good look around the room. He was in a small room, obviously part of some bigger medical wing, but it could still fit a few people. Winston was hanging upside down from the doorframe, eating a banana. Tracer was standing next to him. Another girl, ? Was sitting against a wall chewing bubblegum and playing a holo-game. He could also see a figure in a shadowy corner of the room, but couldn't tell who it was. His focus returned to Tracer as she spoke. "How're you feeling, love?"

"Uh…" He took a few moments to actually get a feel for everything. The situation, people, himself, and then spoke. "I can't feel my legs very much, my back is actually in a lot of pain and my left arm is numb. What happened to me?"

"What do you remember?" Winston asked, sounding honestly worried.

"Uh…well…" He closed his eyes, trying to picture the scene. He had been with his sisters…four soldiers came in…the building rumbled… _sisters._ "We need to go back, we need to go back now!" He yelled, hitting himself on the glass once more and cursing. "Let me out! They're still there! I need to go back!"

"Calm down, listen you can't go back. You're much to hurt. And there is nothing to go back to." Tracer said. He ignored her and banged on the glass, crying out in pain as he tried to kick it and felt pain race up his entire side. "You're legs are both broken, for now. And you aren't much better everywhere else. An entire house crumbled on you, you're lucky to be alive."

"I know! It fell on me! I let it! I told them to run afterwards, I told them to find help! We need to get them! I promised I'd keep them safe!" He yelled, tears swelling in his eyes. "I promised, I promised. Let me out!"

"Who are they? And where could they be?" Winston asked seriously, falling back onto the floor.

"Rebecca, Jasmine, Ruby…god, they're my sisters. I was taking care of them. Our mom…during the attack, she…she died. I took them home, had them hide and grabbed my dad's gun. I...oh god I killed four soldiers. Of Talon." He looked sick, but continued speaking either way. "The house started crumbling down, we couldn't get out so I made them huddle in the corner. I was their shield, I wanted to take most of the damage, hell I thought I'd die. But it was the only way they'd live."

"Then the house fell on you, later on Tracer and Reinhardt found you. We brought you here and are taking care of you." Winston finished. "I'm sure your sisters are alright, the Talon took over the city but last I heard all civilians were evacuated."

"We weren't. If they ran and hid they can still be there. Please, I need to go!" Alessandro pleaded. "I can fight, give me a gun and I'll go!"

"That's brave, and obviously you love your sisters, but we can't go back. The city is rubble, the Talon are there and no one else. If they lived they made it to the soldiers. Don't worry." Tracer said. "Once you're better I will personally go find them with you." He groaned, but didn't argue this time. At this point even had shut her game down to listen, no one thought badly of him when they heard him begin to cry. They all knew very well he devastating that war was, and even more so to the victims like him.

"You were weak." The voice in the shadows said, Alessandro's grief was immediately replaced by anger and he shot up…only to hit his head and fall back down again. The capsule informed him that he had just received a concussion. "You were weak, too weak to ensure their survival."

"Genji!" glared at him as he leaned forward. "He just went through all that!"

"I am not finished. You were too weak to ensure it…yet you were strong enough that they probably did survive." He said, earing confused looks from everyone in the room. That didn't go the direction they expected. "You, a mere child, defeated four trained, strong enemy soldiers. You acted in a split second and, although you shall not be considered a good fighter, you are strong. Had you not killed the soldiers, what would happen to the girls? Had you not reacted quickly and been ready to sacrifice yourself, what would have occured? Don't cry, prepare yourself. Build your strength and then strike them down." It wasn't much of an inspiring speech, but it did left Alessandro's spirits up somewhat.

"Yeah…" Winston agreed without much enthusiasm, obviously he didn't agree with all this. "For now, get some rest and don't worry about much. We should leave. Our doctor, Mercy, may come now and then to see you. We'll talk more when you're feeling better."

"I just woke up and I have too much on my mind to possibly sleep." Alessandro complained. "Can't I like, get a pair of crutches?"

"Mercy was very clear, you need to stay there and not move a muscle. You broke the second rule, so follow the first. Sorry love." Tracer said with her usual cheery smile. "Just get some rest, you still need it." She pressed her hand against the class, and so did he.

"Fine." He agreed with reluctance. "I'll stay still and here. You guys are the doctors not me. Oh, and thanks for saving me." He said, feeling awkward with such a simple show of gratitude. They saved his life, he should be throwing them a party or something. "Imagine I'm really happy when I say that."

"Our pleasure." Tracer answered with a giggle, herding the others out. The lights automatically shut down and Alessandro closed his eyes, trying to not think of anything for now. He now knew he must've had a great sleep because he passed hours in that capsule and couldn't catch a wink. He did his best to stay still but he ended up fidgeting a lot, maybe with a slight feeling of claustrophobia, and that did not help him sleep either. It was early morning, about five o'clock, when the capsule automatically opened. Alessandro frowned and sat up, stretching his back. When no one, or nothing, spoke to him he carefully tested his legs and, seeing that they didn't hurt, he got up.

"Only a limp in my right leg, my back aches like hell. I'll take it." He muttered to himself. The door opened, as if inviting him out, and he gladly decided to leave. The hallways were empty but the building was clearly high-tech, Alessandro could only imagine the security system, and other useful bits and bobs here. He snorted imagining with her own high tech gaming setup. Suddenly a line of light appeared on the floor, making a path for him. He looked around and then decided to follow it, his curiosity grew with every step and he wondered who exactly was doing this. Winston? No, he was smart and all but he didn't even want Alessandro up. Genji? Maybe, but he didn't seem like the type to do this. He stopped thinking of that as he entered a large empty room, gulping as the doors closed behind him, locking him in, but before he could say something the room lit up completely and a screen appeared in front of him.

"What the hell…?" He murmured. In front of him were different pictures showing off the various weapons of different Overwatch agents. He carefully tapped the one in front of him, Tracer's, and they flashed away.

"Virtual training initiated. Abilities of Tracer have been chosen and we will begin in two minutes." A voice said through some hidden system in the room. "Please prepare yourself, and do your best."

"Wait! Training session? I didn't select anything." He said. As he said this Tracer's weapons appeared on him with the chronal accelerator and her goggles, all outfitted for his body. He couldn't help but smile widely and, much like a kid on Christmas, looking them all over. He aimed the in front of him and tried to mimic Tracer's voice. "Don't worry love, cavalry's- JESUS FREAKING CHRIST!" He yelled these last words as a group of soldiers materialized in front of him. He fell back on his butt and fired wildly at the small group, vaporizing them.

"Pre-training test complete. We will start the actual test now, and please try not to scream. These are not real people and they won't care if you do either way."

"Who are you and why the hell am I taking a training battle?" Alessandro asked, looking around with surprise as a town appeared around him. "This was an accident, I'm supposed to be in the capsule!"

"I suggest you take cover."

Alessandro let out a string of curses as soldiers appeared in different areas of the town, most aiming at him and shooting him immediately. He kept cursing and half-walked half-limped away from them into a house. He cursed because each time a bullet hit him it felt like a paintball had been shot at him. The soldiers also seemed fond of hurting his rear as much as possible. He slammed the house's door close and went upstairs, closing the bedrooms door and blocking it with a chair. He plopped down on the bed and tried to focus, what should he do? If this was virtual reality nothing bad would happen to him, he could wait it out until someone came. But it would still hurt… he could also fight back but he had no idea how injured he still was and if that was the smartest option, plus he had no idea how to use this suit. He was forced to a decision when someone kicked the door repeatedly. He groaned and went next to it, raising his guns. A boot kicked it down and the soldiers began to poor in. Alessandro pulled his triggers and just as fast as they came they were cut down, Tracer's pistols having infinite ammunition was a great thing. He simply camped in the house, letting the soldiers run up and shooting them before they could even look.

"Simulation's done, that was the first level of difficulty by the way. Ready for round two?"

"I'm ready to get out of here, to be honest. Is that an option?" He asked. He flinched hearing bullets outside. "I'll take that as a no."

"Winston, we have a problem." Mercy said, crossing her arms and glaring down at him. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, putting on his glasses and standing up.

"What's the problem Mercy? Is it the boy?"

"Yes, I said to leave him in the capsule with supervision." She answered coldly. In all honesty he had expected this reaction from Mercy. She took the care of her patients with utmost seriousness and she normally didn't trust anyone with caring for them. The only reason she left the boy is because she needed to test out her wingsuit, which Brigitte was repairing.

"He'll be fine on his own, he can't get out of the capsule and he can barely move. I thought he deserved some time alone to think of all this." Winston answered casually.

"I'm not talking about the supervision, I knew you would leave him alone despite what I said. I'm talking about this." Mercy replied, handing Winston a tablet with a video feed on. He took it and after a closer look he noticed it was showing the virtual reality training room…active.

"Who would be training this early in the morning?" Winston asked. "Who is running the simulation?"

"Look closer, Winston."

He frowned and fixed his glasses, narrowing his eyes. He now noticed a blue flash running between the enemies without any coordination. First it crashed into one of the soldiers, then it jumped incorrectly and tripped over a car, face planting. The figure got up and crouched behind the car, firing at the simulated soldiers. It was a boy, not tall at all, he had brown messy hair and light skin, when Winston zoomed in he saw the brown eyes and a serious face.

"Is that the boy?" Winston asked, mainly to himself. "Athena! Cancel the simulation and tell me who's running it." He ordered, marching out of the room with Mercy following him. "Athena? God dammit."

"What is wrong?" Mercy asked.

"Athena is the one running the simulation, that's why she isn't talking. She somehow got him in there and is now making him do this. I just can't tell why. Call Mei and tell her to take manual control, I'll go help him before Athena raises the difficulty too much."

"My leg's gonna snap." Alessandro muttered to himself, peeking over the car he was hiding behind and firing a few more rounds. As the difficulty increased he was forced to hide more and more. Not that it would help, he kept getting shot by everyone. But the more he tried to move around the more his leg hurt, he was lucky it was only his leg. He had figured out how to use Tracer's ability and move faster, but it definitely put more stress on his already wounded leg. "Can I swap weapons? I'd like D. Va's!"

"D. Va? Very well." The voice, whatever that person was, replied. His two pulse pistols were taken away and in his right hand a pink smaller pulse pistol appeared. A few meters behind him the mech materialized. He fired a few more rounds before hopping over to the mech, getting in.

"Battle systems online." The mech's computerized voice said. "Welcome back D. Va." Immediately after the glass of the cockpit lit up with several notices and options. Alessandro smiled widely, firing at the soldiers he could see like a giant turret and taking them out quickly. "Considerable damage obtained, exercise caution." The suit warned, showing him a few failures here and there, nothing serious, but he couldn't stay still next round.

"The difficulty will be set to twenty now."

"COME ON! I JUST GOT THIS SUIT!" Alessandro yelled. Enemies spawned and he pulled back on his controls, flying his mech straight through a house and crashing into the ground. He sighed and got up right after. "Ok, this is like a game. You've even used…wait I've used these controls before. These are the same as in Battle Mechs!" He laughed, standing up and turning to the enemies. How the tables have turned, he flew upwards and rained bullets downwards, spinning midair and landing behind a car. He picked up the car and threw it, laughing as it blew up and took out more enemies. Luckily this was virtual or he wouldn't be having this much fun. Three enemies with rocket launchers spawned and he used the defense matrix to shoot the rockets out of the sky, activating his boosters after that and barreling through them. He flew upwards and then used his fusion cannons to shoot whoever he saw. Although he was doing much better than before, and he was having fun he certainly was taking a lot of damage. His suit sounded a warning and he groaned, but knew what he could do. He crashed in middle of a group of enemies, four or five, and then jumped out of the mech and limped away as fast as he could. When they stood back up the mech began shaking and sparking, blowing up much like a firework and killing them all. He used the light cannon, basically an automatically pulse pistol like Tracer's, and shot a few rounds before hiding back in a house. He was about to call in a new mech, if he could, when the room flickered. The town and enemies left and came back, then the whole thing disappeared completely. Alessandro, who had been on the second floor of the house, would've fallen down very painfully but Winston had (finally) arrived. He jumped, caught Alessandro and landed easily.

"Having fun?" He asked with grin.

"When I had the mech. Virtual reality really hurts." Alessandro said, making him laugh.

"Yes well, now you must spend even more time in the MAC." Mercy said, walking with a quick pace into the room. "What were you thinking?" She crossed her arms, giving him a disapproving look much like a mother would.

"I didn't choose this. The capsule opened and said I was fine, then the door opened. I went out and followed some lights on the floor, which led me here and the doors locked. Any idea who could've done this?"

"Athena." Winston huffed. "You two go back to the medical wing, I'll make sure everything is right with the system. And this time, listen to Mercy and only Mercy."

Mercy took Alessandro's hand and led him out, the last he saw of Winston was him trying to talk to something, although he couldn't see what. Mercy led him through the hallways at a quick pace, keeping an iron grip on his hand from which he couldn't escape. When they arrived she ordered him to lay in the capsule, but instead of closing it she turned it off. Alessandro raised an eyebrow at her but she raised a finger to her lips for silence and went to his side. She put a hand on his right leg and closed her eyes.

"During your…training session, your right leg partially broke. It had healed but you still needed rest. Your left leg almost got to that point, and your torso and back are still very bruised." She said, opening her eyes. "You're lucky you didn't break something again."

"How can you tell all this?" He asked, sounding a bit awe.

"My suit allows me to quickly scan a person to see what the problem is, I just need to touch said person. Think of it as a mobile, and weaker, version of the MAC. It can heal quickly and be used for more than medical assistance, but it cannot heal some wounds which the MAC could. Hold still." She began to glow with a goldish aura, and so did Alessandro. He felt an enormous sense of relief and a sigh escaped his mouth. His aching left him completely and the pain in his leg subsided. Mercy pulled away and looked down at him with the smallest of smiles.

"Thank you." He said, sitting up and shaking his legs a bit. "I feel perfect now."

"But you still need to give your body time to rest. More stunts like the training room and you may get seriously injured. _Again."_ Her smile widened as she saw him pout. "What is your name?"

"Come again?"

"What is your name? I believe no one has asked you that yet."

"Alessandro." He offered his hand. "A pleasure to meet you?"

"The pleasure is mine." She said, shaking his hand. "Now, even if you are not tired get some rest. Your body needs it." Mercy said, crossing her arms.

"You're just going to stay here?"

"I'll be keeping an eye on you until you're fully healed."

"You really do take your patients care seriously. I respect that." He answered, laying down and closing his eyes. He never managed to fall asleep and it wasn't long before he and Mercy started talking, just talking. It was a nice, peaceful moment and during those couple of hours Alessandro felt like he had made a new friend. Mercy was extremely nice and, although she kept complaining that he moved too much, didn't seem to be bothered by talking so much. It was nice to be with a friend after the last day.

"Athena, why did you do that? He could've gotten seriously injured." Winston said, tapping furiously on a holo-keyboard.

"Winston, we've spoken of this several times already. You know why I had to do that."

"He is seventeen, Athena. Seventeen! He is not ready for this kind of thing, and he was still hurt. Plus, I never asked for candidates."

"He is perfect, you saw how he did in his town. He has the will, the courage, and the strength to become a great agent. He just needs training."

"How many times did he get shot?"

"Two-hundred virtual bullets hit him, out of three-million that were fired." Athena sounded annoyed now, and Winston could imagine her as a real woman crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"I'm not going to have a kid join Overwatch." He murmured, sounding a bit sad. "If anything happened to him, I would never forgive myself. He's too young."

"Winston, if we are going to win this we need more agents. There are no guarantees the others will join us, we were lucky with , other recruits will most likely say no and past agents have avoided our messages or ignored them completely. He can help us, and he may be vital. We need every hero we can get."

"Athena-"

"Winston, you and me both know that you have no suitable argument besides your conscious. And the world is spiraling into chaos, we cannot think of morals or useless human conceptions such as age. If he wants to join, let him join."

"Fine! But if he says no, we'll take him back home. Just don't do anything like this again."

Athena made a triumphant sound, but didn't say anything. Her plan had worked, she was extremely confident that Alessandro would join Overwatch and if things went as planned he would become a great agent. He's ust what this agency needs.

New blood.

 **And that wad chapter two of New Hero!**

 **Sorry I suck at fighting scenes, it's one my weak points when it comes to writing. ;~;**

 **I'm having a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you like it! Don't forget to fav, follow and most importantly review because your opinions are always valued. Expect more chapters in the future!**


	3. Chapter 3: That Went Smoothly, Right?

"It's high noon somewhere." McCree said through comms, making Reinhardt sigh.

"Must you always say that?" He asked.

Tracer rolled her eyes and ignored them both, looking through some binoculars down at the building. She felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her, and suddenly felt rather sad. She was spying on her former home, one of them at least. Watchpoint: Grand Mesa. A former Overwatch base now in control of the Helix Security International. She had always loved its position in the Giza Plateau, and she remembered the incredible view of the pyramids she'd get from her room. Tracer longed for the days when she could stroll in freely and just get to work. Now it wasn't nearly that simple, even if she fought someone who had attacked her suspicious rose and people yell out on the media, forming theories that Overwatch is getting back together.

 _Now those theories are true._ Tracer thought with a smile. She narrowed her eyes and focused on someone coming out of the building.

"Rise and shine loves, our target is on the move." Tracer chirped. An odd group, Reinhardt, McCree and Tracer, and certainly not her first choice for a stealth mission. But she had to make do with what she had, and these two were certainly capable. "She's heading down the main street, turning right and...she's out of view."

"I got her, she's in a van heading down this maze of streets here. You two remember the storage depot?" McCree said. "I think she's heading there, she doesn't have her suit on but she has a sidearm with her."

"Shall I go meet her?" Reinhardt asked.

"Not yet, let her park and get out of the van. Then we'll corner her and talk. Just talk. This shouldn't be hard, Pharah's mother was in Overwatch and Pharah had applied before we were shut down." Tracer said, getting up and running to the other building. She frowned for a moment, then remembered where the depot was and began running in its direction, her abilities making it easy for her to jump from building to building.

"I remember her mother." Reinhardt said. "Faree, she was a great fighter. An honorable fighter."

"She was murdered two months ago." McCree said. Tracer noticed a fraction of anger breaking into his normally calm voice. "Reaper got to her."

"He'll get what he deserves, but we need more agents to face him and Talon, so focus on this mission and let's recruit Pharah." Tracer said. "Everyone in position?" Tracer peeked her head over the building that she was now standing on, seeing the van park in front of the old supply depot and Pharah coming out. She frowned seeing two other people exit the van with Pharah, they must've have been in there waiting for her because Tracer had never seen them walk in.

"What do we do?" McCree asked calmly, his belt buckle shining on the rooftop opposite Tracer. His pulled was pistol out. Reinhardt remained hidden in a nearby street.

"Same plan, surround them and talk to Pharah." Tracer said, smiling widely. "What could go wrong?" She giggled and hopped off the building, blinking forward right before landing in front of Pharah. The second she landed the three people pulled out their side-arms, aiming at her. She pouted and Reinhardt crashed down behind them, blocking their path. One of them spun to face him and obviously paled, comparing his tiny pistol to Reinhardt in his armor with his hammer.

"Tracer and Reinhardt. Former members of Overwatch." Pharah said, a smile growing on her face. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Are you crazy Pharah? We're getting ambushed by two criminals." One of her partners hissed.

"These are two of the people that saved our world in more than one occasion, these were partners of my mother. Show some respect." Pharah said, holstering her pistol. McCree, who was still on the rooftop, shot the two guns out of the others hands, giving them a nod from up top.

"You planned this well." Pharah said casually. "As much as I would love to speak to you, I'm afraid I'm not allowed to. Not after one of you broke into the facility and stole quite a few things."

"That wasn't one of us, he isn't with us." Tracer said, although she made a mental note to inform Winston of this. It might be another old member, or possible new recruit. "Pharah, we need to talk about something important. Alone."

"We will not allow that." One of her partners hissed, only for her to give him a stern look.

"Excuse them, they are wary. It's been a busy few days for us." Pharah said. "As I said, I shouldn't be talking to you, so please make it quick. I have work to do." Her voice suddenly turned serious, as did her expression. Tracer decided to oblige and didn't waste a moment. She explained to Pharah about Talon, who they were and what they've done, she explained how they were involved with the murder of Mondatta, an incredible peacemaker who had been murdered shortly before Winston called back the agents, and how a few exceptional ones were causing trouble. Pharah nodded, every now and then urging her to continue. She remained relatively calm until Tracer explained how Reaper was hunting and murdering old Overwatch members, such as Pharah's mother.

"You are telling me," Pharah murmured, her voice dangerously low. "That this, this Reaper, has killed my mother and other members of Overwatch? With help from Talon?" She clenched her fists. "Why would they do this?"

"We don't know, but they're a tricky bunch. We need to be a step ahead of them." Tracer said. "What do you say love? Join us, help restore the world and stop these buggers who are trying to kill us?"

"Of course, I cannot let the murderers of my dear mother run amok, and I shall not let the world remain in such peril. I always believed Overwatch was the best hope for peace, and of course I will join." Pharah turned to her partners. "We will go back and get my suit, you two give your report after I leave. Tell them the truth, by then I will be too far for anyone to stop me."

Reinhardt lowered his hammer, giving Tracer a respectful nod. That had gone quite smoothly, and just as planned. "We must go now, if you must return to gather your armor then one of us shall wait here for you, it is dangerous for us all to be here." He said.

"This entire region is secure from any sort of enemy." Pharah said. "I'm sure that as long as you avoid Helix Security you will be fine." Just as the words left her mouth the sound of two rockets could be heard. Tracer looked up to see just that. Two rockets streaked past her to Reinhardt. Before anyone could react two shots rang out and the rockets blew up, dazing the group but hurting no one.

"I'm counting a large group of Talon soldiers." McCree said, reloading his revolver. "All coming across the roof. Tell our new friend she might want to hurry. And tell her never to say that again, karma's a bitch and so are these fellas." He threw a grenade across the roof and fired a few more shots.

"Reinhardt, stay here with these three until our ride's here. I'll go help McCree. Pharah you should hurry." Tracer said, pulling out her guns and quite literally running up the side of the building, using her abilities to apparently blink from one ledge to another, until she suddenly appeared on the top. She yelped and rolled behind a small shack that was on top of the roof. At least a dozen Talon soldiers were on this rooftop alone. "Showtime." She muttered, turning the corner with her pulse-pistols blazing. She ran in a blink on top of the shack, then flipped upwards and landed in the middle of the group. She giggled as they turned, a bit disoriented. She winked at one and hit him with the butt of her weapon, kicking another one then using her time-reverse ability to return to the top of the shack as they shot the ground where she stood a few seconds ago. "Time's up!" She called, throwing a pulse bomb in middle of the group and smiling as it blew up, flinging them around.

"Tracer, one of Pharah's men got shot. He's doing badly. I've cleared the other group on the roof but Reinhardt's taking a beating." McCree said through comes. "He'll be fine, but we need to go before something else happens."

"Did Pharah get her suit?" Tracer asked, looking among the groaning soldiers for anything useful, or anyone useful.

"No, it isn't with her. I think she called it in but it's taking a bit." McCree said. "We need to-"

His voice was interrupted by a large explosion, which Tracer heard both through her earpiece and by herself. She ran to the side of the roof and looked down, seeing a tank, _a tank,_ advancing on Reinhardt who had his shield up to defend the small group against the projectiles. McCree, still on his own rooftop, looked surprised but threw another flash-bang grenade and fired a volley of bullets, which pinged off the small armored vehicle. Tracer cursed and jumped off the roof, blinking in front of Reinhardt. She phased out of reality as another shell passed through her ghostly form and hit Reinhardt's shield, making him grunt and stagger. Tracer reappeared and ran to the tank, jumping on top of it and knocking on the top. When no one decided to come shoot her she stuck a pulse bomb on it and jumped off. It blew up and, much to Tracer's shock, kept moving forward undamaged. It fired again and Reinhardt fell back, his shield disappearing. Much to his credit, he immediately got back up and placed the shield once again, using his hammer to help prop himself.

"You shall not get pass me!" He roared, bracing for the next shot. Tracer was unsure of what to do, but before she could react something landed behind Reinhardt silently, but quickly. As it landed Tracer noticed it was a suit which resembled an Egyptian design.

"About time!" Pharah said, immediately getting in it. The tank fired another round and Reinhardt roared, running forward to meet it with his holo-shield. After it exploded his shield dissipated once more, this time for good, and Pharah flew above him. "I've got you on my radar!" She called, spreading her arms and letting loose a salvo of mini missiles that bombarded into the tank. She fell in front of Reinhardt as the tank, which couldn't move but still shoot, shot another shell only to hit a concussive blast which Pharah had just fired.

"I'm the ultimate crushing machine!" Reinhardt roared, running in front of Pharah to the tank and smashing his hammer into the floor. The ground shook and the mere force of his blow sent the tank upwards, making it land upside down with a deafening noise.

"We need to go before more soldiers show up!" McCree said, jumping down from the roof.

"He is right." Reinhardt agreed.

"Pharah, you have your suit, you need to come with us now." Tracer said. The three turned to her but she wasn't even listening, she was beside her wounded partner. A few sentences were exchanged before his head lolled down, unmoving.

"First the world, then my mother, now my partner?" She smashed her fist into the truck. "Talon will certainly pay for this." She mumbled. "Let's go! No time to waste. Helix support is on its way and I doubt Talon will stay in this area for much longer."

"You're right, we won't be staying for any longer. You will all die here, and now."

 **Bam bam! That's it for chapter 3! I really enjoyed making this one, been the most fun I've had writing in a while, I hope you guys enjoyed it to. If you did don't forget to fav, follow and review because your opinion always mattered!**

 **Sighing off, for now,**

 **Survivor**


	4. Chapter 4: Time For The Reaping

"We were planning to kill you all now, but it seems we chose the wrong moment. I didn't imagine Overwatch would start recruiting." Reaper said, holding his shotguns at his sides and speaking as if they were friends at a lunch meeting. Although no amount of friendliness hid the evil, the cruelty, in his voice. On the rooftops and in the surrounding streets Talon soldiers appeared, coming out of hiding.

"Helix is informed." Pharah whispered to Tracer. "They hear it all."

"Why are you here, Reaper? Why are you and Talon here?" Tracer asked, speaking louder than usual for Helix to hear her. She wanted them to hear all the details. Talon was after them. Talon was the threat not Overwatch.

"To kill you of course." Reaper said. "You won't be getting away from me this time."

"If you think we are intimidated by you and some _criminals_ then you are very mistaken." Pharah said, her voice booming, loud and clear for everyone.

"Ah, Pharah. The pride of Helix Security International, leader of the security team that deactivated Anubis." Reaper said. "Quite bothersome, we were hoping Anubis would talk care of Helix for us."

"That…was you?! Don't you realize that jeopardizing something as important as that AI could've caused death all over the world?! It wouldn't even help you!" Pharah yelled. McCree put a hand on her shoulder and she took a deep breath, calming down.

"Yes, that was the plan." Reaper answered casually. "You're just like your mother, all about the people and very honorable. I hope you'll be just as much fun to kill as she was."

As soon as the words had left Reaper's mouth Pharah went eye-wide. She tried to speak but nothing came out. Her breathing got noticeable faster and she clenched her fists. McCree tried to pull her a step back but she shrugged him off.

"Y-you…you killed my mother…" Pharah muttered, her calm voice filled with a promise of danger.

"She wasn't much of a challenge. Very disappointing for a former Overwatch agent." Reaper said with a cruel chuckle. "It was fun to suck the life out of her, watching the light dim from her eyes as she reached out for a picture of you."

"You will pay for your crimes!" Pharah yelled. She flew into the air and extended her arms. "Justice rains from above!" As soon as the words left her mouth a salvo of missiles left her suit, Reaper vanished in black smoke and the missiles hit the group of soldiers. Reinhardt immediately turned to cover McCree with his armored body, as the other soldiers began firing at them. Tracer gave a nod to them and zipped into a side street. Extra gunshots confirmed that she was keeping them busy. Reaper reappeared on one of the rooftops and Pharah flew to him, tackling him off and flying upwards. As he stumbled up she raised her arm and shot a concussive blast, sending him into a wall. Before he could get up she took out her rocket launcher and began firing wildly at him, crumbling that section of the building. A plume of dust rose and she lowered her weapon, breathing heavily. She ignored the others, all of them. Her new allies and her enemies. All she wanted to see was a dead Reaper.

"Death comes." His voice rasped behind her, as he suddenly appeared in a flash of red. Pharah spun to see him standing, perfectly fine, on the rooftop. He fired with both shotguns and, either by luck or skill, hit a vital spot. One of Pharah's boosters sputtered and smoke left it as she fell to the ground. Reaper disappeared and in a flash of red reappeared next to her, a shotgun aimed at her face. Pharah chuckled and nodded at his feet. He looked down to see and explosive. Pharah rolled so her armored back faced it and Reaper turned into black smoke as it exploded. When he looked around Pharah was nowhere in sight. He growled and turned back to the others, McCree and Reinhardt were now ravaging his men. As Reinhardt ran into them, using his hammer to force them back or smash them McCree stayed father behind and with deadly accuracy picked them off.

"So much highly trained men…yet so weak." Reaper murmured. He was walking towards them when he suddenly felt something stick to his back. "What the-"

"Cheers love." Tracer said with a wink. Reaper yelled angrily and turned into black smoke once more. The bomb that Tracer stuck to him disappeared with him and didn't blow. As he reappeared and faced Tracer she smiled widely.

"What is so funny!" Reaper roared.

"It's funny that you thought you could beat us alone." Tracer said cheerfully. She glanced to her left and he turned to see Pharah in front of him. She raised her fist and threw a quick punch but much to her surprise, he dropped one of his shotguns and held her fist.

"Enough games." He murmured. He let go and quickly punched her in the face, shooting her in the stomach right after. Tracer yelled out and pulled her guns, firing at him. He disappeared and reappeared behind her and Tracer blinked farther away, avoiding his bullets. He laughed cruelly and kept firing at her, not giving her a moment to breath. All she could was blink her and there. Suddenly he felt someone grab his shoulder and spin him around, much to his surprise, it was Pharah glaring at him in pain.

"You're right, enough games." She murmured as she punched him in the face just as she fired a concussive blast, sending him far away, threw a wall and next to McCree. McCree lifted him with his free arm and smashed him against a wall. He put a gun under Reaper's chin.

"Justice won't dispense itself." He muttered, spitting out his cigar. Just as he was about to finish Reaper off, another gun sounded. Louder, much louder. McCree growled as his metallic arm was shot and dropped Reaper, rolling behind a wall. Reaper looked up to see one of his jets hovering over one of the buildings, in front of the ship was Widowmaker, her face as serious as ever. Tracer fired a few shots before taking cover as McCree did and Reinhardt formed his shield in front of Pharah as five bullets suddenly hit it.

 _With her here, this is over._ Reaper thought as he grabbed his weapons and walked toward McCree's hiding spot. The outcome of this situation was unsure, Talon had the advantage. The other soldiers got up and went to Reaper, guns up and ready. Before much more could happen a loud noise resonated and everyone froze, even Widowmaker.

"Come get some you bastards!" A voice yelled. Reaper didn't recognize it but Tracer laughed.

"Alessandro, love, is that you? Who's with you?" She asked. Suddenly, over the buildings and easy for everyone to see, was a small jet hovering with its weapons ready. In the pilot's seat was Mercy, at the doorway on the side of the jet was Winston and, more concealed but with a megaphone in hand, was Alessandro smiling widely.

"Hey guys! Rough day?" He asked.

"I think we can talk later." Mercy told him. He shrugged and Winston smiled widely, firing his tesla cannon. The Talon ship that was also on the roof immediately flew away, the soldiers yelled out but could do nothing as electricity arced over their bodies. Widowmaker, skilled as she is, immediately jumped off the roof. She shot her grappling hook and a moment later was pulled to Reaper. He held onto her and she shot her grappling hook upwards, both of the heading to the rooftop and retreating.

"Nice shot Winston!" Alessandro praised, peeking his head out. "What about the other soldiers on the ground?"

"Reinhardt can take care of them." Winston said with a chuckle. On cue Reinhardt laughed and turned to face them, wielding his hammer. Two of the soldiers looked at each other, then back at Reinhardt, and then dropped their weapons. The rest followed shortly after. "Come on board, Helix is about to arrive. They can't run, but we need to get out of here."

"McCree, help me with Pharah! Mercy, I'll drive you need to take care of her. She's injured." Tracer said, appearing in a blink next to Pharah and lifting the injured women, hanging Pharah's arm around herself. McCree ran to them and together they took her to the ship, Reinhardt followed shortly after and a minute later they rose into the sky.

 _"Attention Overwatch agents, stand down! Land your vehicle and turn yourselves in."_ A voice said over the intercom. " _This is Helix Security International, you are under arrest!"_

"You've got to be kidding." Alessandro muttered. Winston growled but there was nothing he could do.

"Strap yourselves in, something tells me this isn't going to be a smooth ride." Tracer called from the pilot's seat. Everyone did as told, McCree carefully strapping Pharah to a seat, and Tracer suddenly sped off. Two Helix fighter jets right behind them. Tracer cursed and did an aerial roll, dodging the bullets being shot at them. Alessandro was turning green and he covered his mouth as Tracer spun again and suddenly descended, flying a few meters over the rooftops. As the two fighter jets opened fire Tracer smirked and spun sideways, flying like that _in between the buildings._ She raced in between them until they left, opening up into plain desert. The Pyramids were in view now, farther away surrounded by smaller buildings. The sun was setting and it gave them a beautiful appearance. Tracer couldn't enjoy it right now, the two jets reappeared above her and the console beeped insistently, indicating enemy missiles. Tracer groaned and suddenly went up and then down, going over the enemy aircraft and lowering behind them. The missiles were still on her tail but she sped forward, in between the jets, and as she passed them the two missiles hit their owners.

"Athena, are they alive?" Tracer asked, only the slightest bit of panic in her voice.

"Both pilots ejected in time, they'll be picked up." Athena informed. Tracer sighed in relief and let the AI take control of the jet, walking back to see how the rest were doing.

"Hello loves, little bumpy wasn't it?" She asked with a giggle.

"I think my stomach and several organs are stuck in Egypt." Alessandro murmured as he clutched his stomach.

"That makes two of us." Winston said, looking as sick as the boy. Mercy was already up and tending to Pharah, who was either sleeping or unconscious. McCree and Reinhardt gave her a nod, although Reinhardt looked like he could use some medical attention himself.

"We'll talk about what happened later, for now let's hurry home and simply rest." Tracer said as she walked back to the front, smiling as she saw the sun setting behind the pyramids of Giza.

She really had missed that view.

 **And here is the newest chapter! I hope you all like it, I know I did. Don't forget to fav, follow and as always review because your opinion is the** ** _most_** **important thing I can get.**

 **See you guys next time!**


	5. Chapter 5: How high is your pain?

"How's training going?" Mercy asked with a smile.

"Just kill me now." Alessandro answered, taking a big bite if his sandwich. Mercy frowned and gave him a confused look, to which he chuckled. "I have never felt more physically exhausted or sore in my life, only thing that hurt more than this was having that building collapse on me."

"Reinhardt goes a bit far on physical training, yes? But you need it." Mercy said matter-of-factly. "And I've offered to take care of you if you feel that bad."

"If I can't take this kind of pain how will I do in an actual battle? I might as well try and get used to pain early on when I have you around me and I'm in a safe place." Alessandro replied, taking another bite of his sandwich. Mercy sighed and grabbed a napkin, dabbing at his mouth despite his annoyed grunt. In all honesty he had grown accustomed to Mercy's motherly behavior; she acted that way with everyone in the base. Even Reinhardt who was well above her age. Sure, maybe she didn't wipe Reinhardt's mouth but she was still a motherly presence to them all. Just a bit more with the boy. Alessandro had been living here for one month now and had started to grow used to the people here; although he noticed Mercy seemed to take special care of him sometimes. She always went to wake him up in the morning and she always accompanied him during lunch.

"On a scale of one to ten, how great is your pain?" Mercy asked.

"A minus one." He answered sarcastically. "I don't need medical attention; I'll take the pain myself."

"Very well, very well, I won't press the subject anymore. But if you need help just ask." Mercy said, smiling as he nodded at her. She didn't need to ask him to know how he was doing; he was fine but obviously very sore. His movements were very stiff and pained. She would have to speak to Reinhardt about this.

 _Wait…no. Reinhardt knows how to train any new recruit, as do the rest. I have no need to interfere. I'm not this boy's mother._ She thought to herself.

"I gotta admit, the training schedule you guys gave me was odd." He said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Wake up, have breakfast, practice hand to hand combat and swordplay with Genji for three hours. Then I go with Reinhardt and spend the next three hours purely on working out and learning about honor and the doing the right thing, Reinhardt is a big fan of teaching me that, then I have lunch and go with you for medical training and later on Dva forces me to game with her."

"Yes, well, I don't think playing videogames counts as training. And you volunteered for my medical training." Mercy reminded him. "You also forgot that after your time with Dva you always go the shooting range with Tracer to learn how to shoot and an hour before you go to sleep Mei likes to lecture you about the threats to our planet."

"I never asked for Mei's, although I don't mind it, and I also volunteered for Tracer's shooting classes. All in all I'm busier than I've ever been."

"Lunch time's over. Time for class." She said as she stood up. He took the last bite of his sandwich and wiped his mouth, downing his drink in one go and standing up. She chuckled and shook her head slightly and the two began walking down the hallways to the medical wing. Mercy had to admit, she quite enjoyed her time teaching him. It was like that time she never managed to have with her own son, mainly because she _didn't_ haveher own child.

"When are you guys going to get the others?" He asked, making Mercy stop in her tracks.

 _The others._

He meant the other people that they had found to join Overwatch. After recruiting Pharah (who was now perfectly fine and getting along well with the others. She sometimes even helped Genji or Tracer teach the boy how to fight or shoot.) the group hadn't stepped foot out of the base again. They had their list of people to recruit, they knew where they were at, but they didn't want to go out and risk losing anyone just yet. Last time had been a surprise and it made them much more wary of Talon.

"When we are all ready to go." She answered seriously.

"Well I don't see any of you guys that aren't ready; you're all excellent at what you do."

"Have you forgotten you're still in training?" Mercy turned to him, crossing her arms. She was surprised to see he looked actually confused.

"I don't count. You guys are Overwatch, not me." He said. "You guys can save the world, not me. I couldn't even save my family." He clenched his fists, sudden anger surging through his veins.

"You are here because we want you. We need you." Mercy said in a kind voice. "You're one of us now."

"I'm here because you guys saved my life, that's all. I don't belong." He said angrily, glaring at Mercy. She wondered where all this sudden anger came from, anyone who spent at least a week with him could tell he wasn't one to feel down or get mad, not for himself or for his situation. She admired that of him, it was a fantastic trait for a growing hero.

"You're here because we think you can be a hero. You're here because we _want_ you here and you wanted to be here." Mercy said.

"I didn't have a choice, I have no where else to go." He murmured.

"Didn't you tell us you had a father?"

"He's a soldier. He's either out, meaning I'd be stuck in military housing which is basically an orphanage, or he's going to die. Then I'll actually be put in an orphanage."

"Have you contacted your father at all since you came here?" Mercy asked again, cupping his chin in a hand and forcing him to look at her. "Don't lie to me."

"I…I can't." He admitted, his gaze going away. "I tried a few times but I always end up hanging up."

"Why?"

"Mercy, my entire family died while he was out. I-I can't talk him now, knowing what happened. I-I just can't." His voice cracked and he pulled back, looking away. His anger had left as quickly as it came, replaced by sadness. This was something rare for him as well. "Sometimes I can't even sleep without feeling like I'm back there. With the building crumbling on me. But talk about it? Explain to him? No…not yet."

"How long have you felt like this? Do you have any other feelings of that day?" She asked with a serious voice. This is what Alessandro had come to recognize was her work voice; he could practically see the gears turning in her head now. She'd try to fix the problem at all costs.

"Mercy, I'm fine. I just can't talk about it yet, ok?"

"Nonsense, now tell me." He opened his mouth but she shot him a glare. Obviously he had no way out of this.

"Sometimes when I'm at the range and we're shooting I get a flashback. I jump or panic for a second. Sometimes I just have terrible nightmares about that day or I hear my sister's voices while I walk the hallways." He chuckled bitterly. "I can _hear_ their voices sometimes."

"And you haven't told anyone about this?!" Mercy asked angrily, making him take a step back despite himself. She could be quite scary sometimes. Not Reaper scary, mind you, but scary nonetheless.

"It didn't really matter. I just had to get over it." He mumbled sheepishly, looking away.

"You are suffering from Post-traumatic stress. I should've expected this, how foolish of me!" Mercy grabbed his wrist and began walking to the medical wing with him in tow. "You're lucky you haven't gotten a panic attack while fighting or shooting. Most people in your place would be worse. This would also explain your sudden anger, I'd bet you've had little anger moments with the others as well. Sudden changes in your mood?"

"Um…well…maybe I had a tiny, little, attack?" He admitted.

"When? Where? How long? And how bad?"

"My room, midnight, lasted..." He sighed. "Lasted two hours and I guess it was kinda bad. I was shaking in my arms mumbling nonsense the entire time as I heard my sisters calling out to me." He said this easily enough, but his eyes betrayed him. She could see it had affected him much more than he let on.

"We told you that if anything happens you come to us, any of us! Why did you not?!" The two arrived at the medical wing and Mercy tapped the control console, opening the door. She pulled him inside and sat him on a chair, immediately going to a drawer full of medicines.

"Is there medicine for PTSD? 'Cause I never heard of that." He asked, dodging her question. She decided to drop it or now.

"Yes, there are some medicines which help but the actual treatment is therapy. I've devised a machine that is supposed to help for this but it's not complete. First time I tried to use it my patient nearly went mad."

"Then let's avoid using experimental therapy tech on me, yeah?"

"Agreed."

Mercy closed the drawer and opened another, still searching for the correct medicine. She sighed and remembered why she hated this type of condition, it was a _mental sickness._ It wasn't something to be very worried about, seeing as he was faring quite well compared to the cases she had seen. But she always preferred to cure people with a simple swing of her staff. You can't do that with a person's mind. She opened another cabinet and grabbed a small plastic bottle and tossed it to Alessandro, who caught it in one hand.

"Take one of those after each meal, with water. If after a month your condition has not gotten better then tell me."

"I won't go mad, right?" He asked in a joking tone, shutting up and looking away when he saw Mercy's face.

"Promise you will tell us if you get worse, or if you don't get better."

"Easy, I promise."

"I expect you to keep that promise." Mercy said seriously. "Now take a pill and let us start class. Today I'll teach you how to properly make incisions and remove unwanted pests from the body." 

"Unwanted pests?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he grabbed a bottle of water and swallowed his pill. "What, like a tapeworm? Didn't tapeworms go extinct after some doctor in the twenty-second century made a new medicine with herbal plants?"

"No, not like the tapeworm. As you said they no longer exist. Pests such as bullets, tumors, any sort of fragment, knives, and basically anything that can fly, be stabbed into a body or grow in the body." Mercy laughed lightly seeing his confused, and worried, face. "Come now, it won't be that bad." He managed a smile and got up, about to go into the next room with her (where she taught him surgical operations) but the entrance to the medical wing opened and Winston walked in.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked, giving Mercy a nod and holding his fist for Alessandro. The doctor raised an eyebrow as he fist bumped it and Winston did a very awkward explosion sound.

"We were just about to start our little class." Mercy said. "Do you need something?"

"We have a problem. Everyone's going to the conference room for a meeting." Winston said. He certainly looked nervous. "It's about our list of new recruits, they may be in trouble."

 **Yay! A new chapter!**

 **Sorry that it's been so long guys, I know some of you have been waiting! I just ran into a lot of trouble. School just finished and I used to write everything on my school laptop, so I had to pass all my documents to my own laptop here at home which was more troublesome than you'd think. I also had a lot of trouble with word on this laptop (god damn these programs being much more complicated than they should be) and before that it was finals week so I wasn't working either way.**

 **But here I am!**

 **And although I didn't write recently, I've been thinking about this fic A LOT. And I got some things in store for you guys, if all goes well it'll be very feelsy :3**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to fav, follow and (most importantly) review because your opinion is always valued!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Second Omnic Crisis

"Me?!" Alessandro half yelled, quite surprised. He couldn't be serious. No way, not at all! That was _madness._

"Calm down." Tracer said, gently pulling him back onto his seat. "I, for one, think that's a brilliant idea."

"The best teacher is experience." Pharah agreed.

"I second that." Dva said, looking up from her game for one second to speak before returning to it.

"You're ready." McCree said, giving him a rare smile.

Alessandro wanted to complain some more, but there was no point if everyone agreed with this.

What had happened? Winston had gathered everyone into the conference room for an emergency meeting, including Alessandro. He began explaining how Talon had recently attacked another town (which made Alessandro boil with anger) and had claimed countless lives. The terrorist group was now growing into a public national threat. Overwatch could wait no more, they needed to recruit more people and they had to do it fast, or else Talon would keep reaping havoc across the world and killing innocent people. Genji, very interested in the subject, had volunteered Alessandro to go on the first mission despite his lack of skill.

"You won't be alone." Mei said kindly. "If anyone too strong for you appears then we'll take care of them."

"Plus, you took down four Talon soldiers _without_ training so imagine how good you'll do _with_ training." Tracer said, mustering much more excitement than Alessandro would've liked. "We can go together, yeah? Besides this is a recruiting mission. Talon shouldn't be around."

"Like last time?" McCree asked. Pharah grimaced and rubbed her abdomen, where she had been shot.

"It will still be dangerous." Reinhardt said. "But it is the mission of _least_ danger we can assign to him. Remember to fight with honor!"

"Are you sure he is ready? Mercy asked. Everyone turned to her, quite surprised, but to her credit she held their gazes and patiently waited for an answer.

"He wouldn't be able to defeat me in a sword fight, or in hand to hand combat, but he is stronger than the average soldier." Genji informed.

"He has never been stronger!" Reinhardt roared, chuckling and giving him a slap on the back so hard he nearly yelled out.

"He's not a sniper, but his aim is brilliant." Tracer said with a grin. "And his focus is stupendous! If I needed cover he would be my choice."

"His reflexes have gotten way better." Dva said, pausing her game and looking up. "He almost got a point in our last match, meaning he's better than the average gamer." Some people around the room seemed confused by this comment (particularly Reinhardt and Genji who knew nothing of videogames) but nobody disagreed.

"Very well, if you all believe in him then so do I." Mercy said, giving him a smile as well. "We'll continue class when you get back."

The group seemed to take that as the ending. Everyone started getting up and leaving to either do what they pleased or complete their assigned task. Tracer informed him that she would be at the hangar in ten minutes then sped off to prepare. Soon the only people left in the room were Dva, Mercy, Winston and of course the boy himself. He sighed and stood up, about to head out, when he felt a big hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Winston looking at him with a rather sorry face.

"Listen, I…I always had my doubts about you." He said.

"Gee, thanks Winston." Alessandro replied sarcastically.

"No no! Not in that way! I mean, I never liked the idea of someone as young as you turning into a soldier. Going out to fight, I _still_ don't like it." Winston said, taking off his glasses and rubbing them clean. "But…it's something that we need to do. And so I wanted to help you as much as possible. Follow me." Alessandro felt confused, but Winston walked out and he followed his simian friend without hesitating. Dva (who was STILL playing her game) and Mercy weren't far behind. He followed Winston into a section of the base he hadn't really explored before, mainly because he never had a reason to come here. The four entered a room which was obviously Winston's workshop. Mechanic pieces and tools littered the ground, a giant tire tied to a rope hung from the roof and in one corner there was a pile of peanut butter jar covers. His garbage was almost full with banana peels and a computer was on the left wall, an A on the screen. "Athena, open it up." Almost immediately the computer flashed in response and a hiss sounded from the opposite wall. Alessandro turned to see the wall had opened up revealing at least a dozen shelves with various weapons, armor and contraptions that Winston must've built.

"You've been busy." Mercy commented.

"I made this awhile back, took some trail and error but I finally got it right." Winston said, grabbing a hunk of dark metal which looked somewhat similar to Tracer's chronal accelerator. He tossed it to Alessandro who caught it in both hands. The device was double the size of his hand. "The original prototype failed, and was bigger, but I managed this. It's a personal shield which can be activated whenever you want."

"And you're giving it to me?" Alessandro asked. He must've sounded more surprised than he thought because Winston laughed loudly and gave him a nod.

"All our Heroes must have an arsenal. I think I have just what you need." Winston said. He walked side to side apparently looking for something. He grabbed a few bits of armor, a couple little gadgets and with a happy sigh he grabbed a rifle. "This rifle is like Tracer's pulse pistols. It fires the same projectiles and doesn't need to be reloaded, but it fires slower and packs more of a punch. This armor here," Winston said, his smile growing proudly at his work. "is my latest creation! And it's made especially for you. It's light and won't bother your agility, but it can get hit by a rocket and still be wearable. It also can make you invisible!"

"No way." Alessandro said in awe, setting down his shield generator to grab the armor. "How did you even manage that?"

"It wasn't easy." Winston said with a chuckle. "You can be invisible for five minutes at a time before it has to recharge." He couldn't help but laugh again as Alessandro began putting the armor on. To be honest, it wasn't much. It was made of the same dark metal as the shield generator. It covered his legs, chest and it went from his shoulders to his elbows. As promised the armor was made so he could easily move around in it, even if he was flipping rapidly. In the middle of the chest piece was a small opening where Alessandro was pleased to see he could fit the shield generator in. It took only a few minutes to put all this on and afterwards he smiled widely and slung the rifle over his back.

"How do I look?" He asked cheerfully. His smile was ear to ear and Winston felt proud of his work.

"Like a true hero." Mercy said. "But all true heroes need something else. Here." She grabbed a pistol that was much like hers, just made of the same dark metal of his attire, and gave it to him. "Winston made this at my request, it only has three bullets but it is incredibly strong. Use it only when you need to."

"Mercy…" He took the pistol and put it in his empty holster, which was attached to his waist. "Thank you."

"I also got you one thing." Dva said, sounding a little shy which was unlike her. Alessandro turned to see she was holding up a pink, razor blade military-grade knife for him. "When I joined the Meka unit we all were given the pistols and knives just in case we had to exit our mechs. I was never one for knives, so I want you to have it."

"Thank you, I'll make sure to use it." Alessandro said, taking it from her and giving her a smile. He grabbed a sheath (which was also made of the dark metal of course) and put the knife in it, strapping it to his leg. Then he turned to Winston and gave his friend a big hug. "And thank you especially; this is probably the best birthday ever."

"Birthday?" Winston asked, confused.

"Heh, I'm eighteen today. Legal fighting age." Alessandro said sheepishly.

"Why didn't you tell us? We would've celebrated!" Dva complained. Mercy seemed to agree with Dva.

"We're all busy with more important things, and to be honest I had forgotten until I saw my calendar yesterday. Now before someone gives me my birthday punches I need to go to the hangar!" And with that he dashed off, ready to enter the fray.

"I like the outfit." Torbjorn said, wiping his weapon with a rag. "Although I wish Winston had asked for my help."

"Do you think he isn't capable?" Alessandro asked, although he didn't say it in any wrong way.

"It ain't that, he just knows I love to build 'em up." Torbjorn said with a chuckle. "You ok? You seem a bit sick."

"I feel like I'm having an anxiety attack." Alessandro said with a nervous smile. "It _is_ my first real time in a fight, if you don't count when Talon invaded my town."

"Let's hope we won't have to fight." Mei said. Mei was next to Torbjorn playing with her little mechanized friend, Snowball. Alessandro hadn't had much interaction with Mei, but she seemed nice enough. "And if we do end up fighting, do not worry. We'll be right there by your side."

"Thanks Mei." Alessandro said, his smile going a bit more relaxed. "Where are we headed anyway and who are we getting?"

"We're heading to the Krasnoyarsk front, in Russia." Tracer yelled from the pilot's seat. "Sorry Mei, that place is where the second Omnic Crisis is currently happening. We'll probably be fighting."

"It's ok, I'll be happy to help the Russians with this problem. It's about time someone did." Mei said, sounding much calmer than Alessandro would've sounded. He wondered how they could be so calm while entering a literal warzone.

"So we'll be fighting military robots? Better than Talon I guess." Alessandro said. Just as he said that the aircraft shook and he banged his head hard against the seat. He groaned and looked out the window to see several explosions all around them.

"Looks like we've arrived. Buckle up loves! This is going to be a bumpy ride!" Tracer giggled and put the jet into a steep dive, dropping down hundreds of feet in a few seconds, leaving the boys stomach and most of his internal organs high above. A sense of vertigo passed over Alessandro as the jet spun several times before leveling out. An insistent beep sounded from the cockpit.

"Are those missiles?" Alessandro yelled.

"Yes, quite a few of them!" Tracer answered cheerfully. Alessandro groaned and Tracer pulled the jet upwards. He felt himself pressing against the chair as they went faster and faster, higher and higher, until Tracer shut the engines and let then fall back down. Unknown to her passengers she had shut the engines and let the aircraft fall _between_ the missiles, barely missing them. The explosives, now sensing no target, exploded harmlessly in the air and falling down with no power Tracer could easily see the situation that awaited them down below. A small cluster of ant-sized buildings spread in the snowy environment down below. Flashes of light came from even smaller dots in the ground which Tracer assumed were Omnic combatants and the people in the buildings returned fire. She also saw three jet-like figures a few hundred feet below them, racing upwards. Flying Omnics. She smiled widely and pressed the trigger on her control stick, the rapid fire of the jet quickly cutting through the three of them.

"Are we crashing, falling or flying?" Alessandro yelled from the passenger's seat.

"Perhaps all three?" Mei suggested, which did not help. He let out a string of curses as Tracer powered up the engines and sped off towards the village down below. As they got closer she could easily see the fight that was raging between them, the Russians were certainly out numbered and were losing ground fast…unless some heroes racing towards the ground could help turn the tide.

"I'm landing behind the Omnics! If we can get in their lines and reach their artillery we can use it against them and the village may stand a chance!" Tracer yelled, receiving only another string of curses from the boy followed by the sound of Torbjorn smacking him over the head. Mei answered but now Tracer couldn't hear a thing. They were closing in on the Omnic's artillery which, unlike normal military artillery, consisted of canons the size of six story buildings and fired superheated bolts of plasma. The only reason the Russians hadn't lost yet is because they were spread out, and thanks to fact that these canons fired once every ten minutes. Tracer flew in and fired down at the Omnics below, but she didn't wait for them to respond. She suddenly stopped and let the jet hover _over_ the first canon. "Go go go! Hurry up!"

"You heard her, boy, time to break 'em down!" Torbjorn cheered, jumping out the side of the aircraft. Mei quickly followed and after a moments hesitation Alessandro followed them both. Tracer immediately sped off to find a safer place to land. She found herself worrying for Alessandro as she sped off, but she had nothing but trust that the boy would be fine. Especially with Torbjorn and Mei by his side.

 _Yeah, he'll be fine. Just fine._ She thought to herself. _I should hurry up, can't let them have all the fun now can I?_

"Ok then!" Alessandro yelled, ducking behind a metal beam as bullets flew around him. 'That is a lot of Omnics!"

"Where did they all come from anyway?!" Torbjorn asked, hammering a hunk of metal which in a few seconds turned into a turret. Alessandro stared it, half amazed, and as it began to fire he laughed. That was so cool.

"Maybe we can ask them if we get the chance!" Mei called, shooting a couple icicles down below. "For now let's shut this weapon down."

"I suppose that's why we have you two, the scientist and engineer?" Alessandro asked. He turned around the beam and looked down below, seeing several Bastion units, he pulled the trigger and much to his surprise blew up.

 _He literally blew up._

He flew off the gun and began falling, but now his instincts took over. He spun midair and landed on his feet without much trouble. A nervous smile appeared on his face as several Bastion units went into canon form and aimed at him.

"Hey guys…so what about this weather? Pretty cold am I right? Maybe we can go somewhere else and get your circuits warmed up?" He chuckled nervously and sighed. "Ok let's just fight." The robots seemed to like that suggestion better and opened fire. In a second Alessandro jumped against the wall then kicked himself off of it, going above the Omnics and landed behind them. He smiled widely and pulled the trigger before they could turn around. One by the one they burst into flames. He was about to congratulate himself when he heard heavy steps behind him and turned. "You have got to be kidding me." He murmured. Behind him at least fifty Bastion units were coming, along with dozens of regular Omnics wielding old war rifles.

"There is a service panel under the main support beam down there!" Torbjorn yelled, rapidly building a turret to cover the boy. "Get inside! Head to the center of the canon and destroy the main conduits! Mei and I shall handle these pieces of scrap!"

"Five minutes, that's all I need!" Alessandro replied, running towards the access panel and kicking it open. He turned around and fired in short bursts, taking out a few bots before climbing inside and slamming the access panel shut. As soon as he shut it all light disappeared and he sighed. "Um…shield activate? Shield on! Please?" Just now he realizes Winston never taught him how to use the damn thing. If only it could turn on.

As soon as he thought this a shield much like Reinhardt's formed around his body. It was like a second layer of blue skin just a few inches away from his body. But it did what he wanted it to, it provided _light._ He noticed that the inside of the machine wasn't nearly as impressive as the outside. It was huge, but so riddled with support beams, catwalks and consoles that it felt very closed in and small. Some of the catwalks had broken and fallen down, along with just a few support beams. The consoles were rusted and had broken or dusty screens. The canon fired and a deafening blast resonated throughout the structure, much to Alessandro's horror this also meant the whole thing shook and he was surprised it didn't collapse on top of him. How was this thing even working?

He heard gunshots outside and remembered that he needed to hurry. His friends were strong, but not invincible. An army would take them out soon. He began making his way through the trash that was this place, climbing over broken beams and crouching under fallen catwalks. He didn't make it far before he heard a buzzing noise somewhere above. A frown appeared on his face. Those sounded mechanical and small…like drones?

As soon as he had this thought several security drones appeared from the darkness above and opened fire on Alessandro. The bullets pinged harmlessly on his shield and he aimed upwards, opening fire. One of the drones sparked and burst into flames, the others scattered but continued firing. Alessandro ducked behind a support beam and took a deep breath. The firing stopped but he could hear the drones, five or six of them, moving around to get a better angle. Before they could re-position he spun out and fired in short bursts. One, two, three drones burst into plumes of fire and rained onto the floor. The last two drones opened fire but Alessandro quickly climbed up the support beams and jumped on one, ripping its camera off and throwing the rest at the second drone. He landed on the floor and turned just in time to see the drones crash in a small explosion of metal. Sadly, he didn't have time to admire his handiwork. The structure rumbled violently as it fired another shot. That had been _much less_ than ten minutes. It was firing faster.

"Alessandro! We need this canon in our control NOW!" Torbjorn yelled through the comms. Alessandro heard gunfire and cursing on Torbjorn's side. Something exploded. "Hurry up!"

"I got held up, there are security bots in here. I'm on my way to the control room. Just hang on." Alessandro said. He slung the rifle over his back and with the agility and skill of a ninja he began climbing a mix of support beams and downed catwalks. He was now grateful for Genji's classes, which not only taught him how to fight but also how to do this. Any professional parkour trainer would be impressed by Alessandro's skill in the area. In a few moments he made it to the second floor, but that wasn't the end. Looking up he saw that the canon had at least six floors. "Just great." He muttered, but he didn't wait a second more thinking and continued his climb. He was making good time, the canon hadn't fired again so it had been less than ten minutes. Assuming, of course, that it was still supposed to fire every ten minutes as they had thought. He made it to the fifth floor and continued to the sixth, to the part which seemed like the "cockpit" of the entire machine. He paused because he heard the unmistakable noise of a _person_ there. He waited a few seconds and indeed heard a light chuckle then some whistling, as if he were hanging out with a friend in the coffee shop rather than blowing up half of Russia. This last thought filled Alessandro with anger and he silently climbed up and took out his pink knife. Five feet in front of him, sitting in a metal chair and hunched over the controls was a man in a Talon uniform.

 _So this is Talon's doing…_ Alessandro thought. He quietly began walking to the man until he was right behind him. He quietly took a deep breath and suddenly put the man in a headlock, his knife against the man's neck.

"Shut it down now or I'll slit your throat." Alessandro whispered.

"How did you pass the drones?" The man asked. He tried to take a step back but Alessandro held him still and pressed his blade a bit tighter. "Ok ok!"

 _Something's not right…he gave up way to easily._ Alessandro thought. On cue he heard the audible _click_ of a pistol's safety going off and felt a cold barrel pressed against his head.

"Let go of him before I blow your brains out." A female voice said.

"Why are you doing this? It makes no sense." Alessandro said, turning slightly to the woman.

"Let go of him, now." The woman demanded.

"Ok ok…fine. You win." Alessandro said. He slowly pulled his hand away and dropped the knife, letting go of the man. The soldier chuckled evilly and walked to his companion's side.

Or he _would_ have had Alessandro not sprung into action. As the man walked to her Alessandro spun behind him and ran forward, pushing the man into his partner. The three toppled to the ground and the pistol clattered out of the woman's hand. Alessandro lunged for it but the man grabbed him and slammed him into a wall. Alessandro groaned and headed-butted the man, pushing him back down. The woman scrambled for the pistol and Alessandro jumped for his knife, rolling back onto his feet and throwing it towards the woman. She yelled out as the knife went through her hand. The man was practically on him now but Alessandro immediately un-holstered his super pistol (he decided to call Mercy's gift the "super pistol") and aimed it at the man's head. He froze, and then took a few steps back, raising his hands in a non-threatening gesture. The woman grabbed the pistol with her good hand but Alessandro simply kicked the chair towards her and as she turned to shoot him it hit her in the head, knocking her out.

"You have five seconds to stop firing this thing or I'll shoot your friend in the head. After another five minutes I'll shoot you in the leg. Then the other, then your good arm, then the back, then I'll grab my knife and get creative." Alessandro threatened, using his most menacing voice. Some small part of his mind was thinking about how wrong it was to use fear this way, but most of that was covered in anger. These were the people who attacked his home. These were the people that hunted his friends. These were the people that murdered Overwatch agents. These were the people who probably began the second Omnic crisis and had gotten over fifty thousand people killed in this country alone. _**These were the people that killed his mother, and his sisters. They deserved no mercy.**_

"Ok…just keep calm and I'll do that." The soldier said.

"Five." Was Alessandro's reply. "Four."

"Ok ok!" The soldier said as he quickly walked over to the control console. As he began fiddling with it Alessandro walked over to his unconscious partner and took her pistol, aiming at the man with that instead of his "Super Pistol".

"Mei, Torbjorn, Tracer, I found a Talon soldier operating the canon. He's deactivating it. What's your status?" Alessandro asked.

"This Omnics are not giving up! They're still attacking the Russians and us. The other canons are still firing. In two minutes we'll see if your new friend shuts this one down!" Torbjorn answered rapidly. "Tracer landed near the one opposite of you, do not fire there! Tracer is taking that!"

"Understood." Alessandro said, turning back towards the man. "Aim the canon to the middle artillery emplacement."

"My partner is in there!" The man complained, turning defiantly to Alessandro. He responded by pressing the barrel of the pistol to the man's forehead.

"Do it now, or I'll kill you. Then your friend." Alessandro said, his voice barely a whisper. The man glared at him angrily and Alessandro sighed. "I don't have time for this." He shot the man in the leg and left him crying out in pain on the floor as he walked over to the controls. It was a wide array of buttons, switches and even a lever. But in the center was a joystick with a big red button on top. Alessandro had played enough games to know how this worked. He grabbed the joystick and turned the canon to its partner in the center. "Mei, Torbjorn, brace yourselves! I'm firing!" He warned, pressing the red button on the joystick.

One second…

Two seconds…

Three seconds…

A bolt of pure plasma sailed directly to the other canon and in the one blow teared it to shreds. Alessandro sighed, quite tired already, and turned around to leave. But as luck would have it, that wasn't the end. A second after his blast hit, Tracer's canon fired. It was also aimed for the center canon, meaning Tracer had taken control. That would've been spectacular if Tracer's shot had anything to hit. But instead it flew undeterred over the wreckage of the former canon and hit Alessandro's canon with him, Torbjorn and Mei on it.

Due to some miracle, maybe the canon was aimed too low, or it hit part of the other's wreckage and got too small, the bolt of plasma hit the top of the canon and destroyed solely the gun. The entire building shook massively and some debris fell around Alessandro.

That was all it took.

Suddenly the roomed flashed in his eyes. One moment it was the inside of the canon, the other he was back home during the attack. He dropped his gun and spun around wildly, hyperventilating now. He felt panic rise in his chest as the roof caved in. Wait, no, not roof the canon. No no not canon the _roof._ He couldn't tell one apart from the other. He spun to the corner of the room, hearing Rebecca's voice. She was pleading to him; she needed him to save her. He yelled out to his sister, running to the corner only to see nothing was there. What was real? Was he back home or was he in the canon? Was he with his sisters or was he with the enemy? An explosion sounded outside and he screamed, falling to his knees. Shaking his head wildly. Someone was yelling at him. Tracer through his comms? No, Rebecca in his ear. Rebecca, Jasmine and Ruby screaming for help, begging him. He sobbed and went into fetal position, unable to process it. Unable to process _this._ Another explosion outside, another terrible flashback and the feeling that his heart was being ripped out. The terrible feeling of anxiety, of hopelessness, of fear. He screamed at the top of his lungs and covered his ears as if he could stop hearing his sister's voices. As if they would cease to exist.

Then everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7: Life In Russia

I wake up disoriented. I can feel that it's very cold right now, meaning I'm still in Russia. But people are muttering quietly around me and my head is pounding. A soft groan escapes my lips as I sit up and slowly take in my surroundings. I'm in a small, ugly building made of cement blocks, on a small cot that's used as a bed. The house would've been fine if it didn't have several holes in one wall and half the roof blasted off. My eyes focused in front of me and I saw a small boy and a small girl sitting at the foot of the cot watching me. They must be twins because they share the same light hair and blue eyes. We just stare at each other for a few moments before I decide to lie back down and close my eyes.

I don't know how much time passes before I wake up again but it's either been hours or days. It's dark outside and considerably colder than before. I can feel that someone's laid a few blankets on me and I've been moved next to the fire. When I sit up I see the two children from before sleeping next to me and, what must be their mother, is by their other side. I sit up and stifle a pained grunt not wanting to wake them up and grab a cup next to my bed which must've been left for me. As soon as I drink it I feel my tongue, mouth and throat burn and immediately spit out into the fire, coughing like crazy. I wake up the three with my coughing and, after a few moments of surprise, the mother tries to help me as the children exit the house. By the time they return with an old man in tow I've stopped coughing and I'm trying to talk to the mother. My Russian is non-existent and her English is less than a two year olds but I do understand one thing. My friends are somewhere here. This calms me to a certain degree and I turn to the old man. Despite his age a rifle is slung across his back and he stands tall and proud before me. He simply stares at me for a few moments before barking a word (pria-something or other) and I get up and follow him out. Now I notice I still have my armor on and the sidearm Mercy gave me but my rifle isn't here.

"Any idea where my gun is?" I croak. I cover my mouth and cough hard, repeating myself more clearly this time. He gives me a nod and waves me forward. "Seeing as the village is still here I guess we did it. And alive to tell the tale." He chuckles at this and opens the door to a bigger building that, besides its size, is just like the first. I raise my fist and to my surprise he fist bumps me and I walk in.

"Alessandro!" Tracer calls out cheerfully, sitting on the roof with her legs dangling through a hole.

"I thought we fixed your pronunciation? My name is Aleksandra." A deeper, Russian accented voice called from another room.

"No, she means our partner Alessandro." Mei says as she enters the room and squeezes me in a hug. Tracer blinks down and smiles at me widely before doing the same.

"Alessandro, I want you to meet our objective. Aleksandra Zaryanova!" Tracer cheered. From the room to my left came a woman at least a quarter taller than me with ripped arms covered in tattoos, pink hair and a scar above her eye. She raised an eyebrow at me and extended a hand.

"He looks smaller than I thought." She stated. I frown and can see Mei and Tracer trying to not to laugh.

"So what's going on? I wake up and find some kids staring at me then next time I wake up I burn my throat with vodka and I'm brought here."

"You had vodka?" Mei asked quizzically.

"Yes, and I don't see how Russians can stand it. But will someone tell me what's going on? Where's my rifle and where's Torbjorn and what's happening now and what are we doing and-" I frown as I feel a hand cover my mouth and glare at Zarya.

"The little man is repairing your weapon with the company of our gunsmith. It got crushed when the artillery placement fell on top of you." Zarya stated. "You would've been crushed as well if it weren't for that impressive armor and the small man who went in and saved you."

"When he found you he said you were…um…" Tracer looked at Mei for help. By now the four of us had decided to sit down on some chairs around the room.

"You were mumbling incoherently about your sisters and having a complete anxiety attack. When he tried to help you almost shot him and tried to stay in the corner. He had to knock you out and bring you." Mei said, speaking gently.

"Perfect." I mumble. "So what else? Have you told Zarya about our offer?"

"Your offer?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We were just about to." Tracer said. She smiled even wider, if that's possible, and stood up. "Aleksandra Zarya, on behalf of Overwatch we would like to recruit you into our special soldiers program!" The room was quiet to a count of ten until Zarya snorted and shook her head.

"Overwatch is illegal. Besides, my people need me here." She said, brushing the offer off as if they had asked her to go to the park. This must not happen often, or mustn't have back when Overwatch was legal, because Tracer seemed confused.

"You could help your people and more if you join us." Mei offered uncertainly. "Overwatch is meant to help people across the world, including Russia. We were the ones who stopped the first Omnic Crisis."

"Yes, I remember. I studied that in my final years of school." Zarya said, looking thoughtful. "But then you were attacked and blamed for several crimes. You were disbanded."

"Yeah, but we're trying to rebuild ourselves." I said, making Zarya turn to me. "We're recruiting exceptional people for the job and taking out those who are a threat. Our main battle is against Talon. Did you know who Mondatta was?"

"He was a peacekeeper Omnic. Tried to make peace between humans and Omnics. Got shot somewhere in London." Zarya replied, making Tracer look away at the mention of that day. "I'm glad, if the war has taught me anything it is that those robots are not to be trusted." Tracer, for once, looked angry but before she start arguing Alessandro continued.

"He was killed by an agent of Talon. Our main, and as far as we know, our only current enemy. And guess what? Those artillery emplacements were under Talon's control. I fought a couple soldiers when I went inside there and shot the middle one."

"Torbjorn mentioned something about that." Mei said. "We decided to meet up later to discuss. The four of us and, of course, whoever is leading the army in this area."

"Yes, yes, of course." Zarya stood up and walked to the door. "That would be our commander. The boy just met him." She said something in Russian and the old man that had led me here finally walked inside. He didn't seem bothered by the cold. "He likes the cold, so he stays outside as much as possible." Zarya explained. He smiled and shook hands with Mei and Tracer, saying something in Russian to Zarya. "He wants you three to tell him everything relevant. And I remind you that hiding information means you lose our cooperation and will make you enemies of Russia."

Tracer began by explaining some of the events before Overwatch got back together. Talon attacking Winston in his secret little bunker. The assassination of Mondatta. How Winston decided to recall the agents but many are now missing in action and how the ones that did manage to reunite decided to recruit new people. She began to explain how Talon is getting bolder with their plans, whatever they are, and openly attacking countries. Hunting down former Overwatch agents like Pharah's mother. The conversation steered to Alessandro and he explained how they invaded his town, which was under heavy guard due to rising tensions with the terrorists throughout the country, and was basically wiped out. How he was saved by Overwatch and recruited simply because he handled himself so well back home. During the entire thing both Russians observed the three with utmost interest. When Alessandro was done the old man barked something in Russian. Zarya complained by he simply repeated himself. She sighed and turned to the three again.

"Commander says that, if you help us, he will do his best to give you the full support of Russia." Zarya announced. "And, with his permission, I shall join you."

"You didn't sound very happy about that." Alessandro noted.

"I don't find you three trustworthy." She admitted. "But you are Overwatch. If you end the threat in my home I will return the favor."

"How do we end the threat?" Mei asked. "The first time we defeated the Omnics we had just formed. We were strong and had a lot of people. Besides that we also had the support of dozens of countries. Right now it's us four, and not many more back home."

"We have a plan for that. One that we were worried wouldn't work. But with you four…we may have a chance. Come tomorrow at noon. I will show you." And with that she left the house, whistling some tune quietly as she strolled through the night.

"Forgive Zarya. The war has made her distrustful of many. Especially of those who are not part of it." The commander said in a raspy voice that was so accented Alessandro barely understood. "I believe your arrival means the salvation of our people. I trust you."

"Can't blame her, not after all that." I murmur. "But, no offense, what is someone your age doing here? In the US they have a mandatory retirement. I supposed other countries did to."

"I was retired, but after so many deaths the government decided it needed to bring back into service some veterans. How do you Americans say it? Back in the day, yes, back in the day I was very well known for my strategic expertise. You will see my plan tomorrow. Now, you should all get some rest. The family of this home didn't make it through the day, but I knew them. They'd be honored to have you here, so please, make yourself comfortable." He turned around and walked out the door, but looked over his shoulder to say one more thing. "Also, if you can, please visit out field hospital before you meet Zarya. I think it would make the people very happy to see Overwatch, and the heroes that just saved our lives." After that he left the three alone in the house of the dead family.

"Well I'm not sleeping for the rest of that night. I just got up. I think I'll take a walk and come back here later." I get up and turn, but Tracer blinks in front of me and crosses her arms.

"I think we should talk about what happened to you." Mei said gently. Tracer nodded and prodded him back to his seat. After a few uncomfortable moments she speaks again. "What did you see?"

"I…I'd rather not talk about it. I'm fine now. Really."

"Alessan-"

"Mei could you give us a moment?" Tracer asked, interrupting her. Mei seemed surprised but gave her friend a nod and said she'd go study the wildlife here, if she could find any. After a few more moments Tracer got up and smacked me. Hard. She then grabbed my shoulders and held me close to her face. "Do you see me?"

"What?"

"Do you see me!"

"Yes! Yes! Jesus…" I squirm and try to pry her off but she suddenly has an iron grip.

"Focus on me." She's taken a gentler, more soothing tone. I frown but do as she says. Her hair is falling just a bit in front of her eye. Behind her goggles is a look of grim determination and I notice her lips have a reddish patch. She's been biting them. For the first time since we met I see her in a different way to, all of her. Her face,her eyes, her skin. She looks, well, beautiful. A can feel my face turn pink and I look away. "Now, do you still see it?"

"See what?" I ask quietly, although I understand perfectly what she means. After a few moments I shake my head. Up until this moment the images hadn't left. I kept seeing two realities, the real thing that was happening now and that day back at my house. I had always heard that PTSD meant you were constantly living in that traumatic moment, but I never understood how it worked until now.

"Good…sorry for smacking you." She gives me a peck on the cheek and pulls me up. "Mercy told me you had this. And I noticed at the range, how you sometimes freezed or jumped when we fired a gun."

"How'd you notice that? You aren't a doctor." I look around and sigh in relief. I can't see it anymore. I only see what's here and now. In that moment it hits me and I turn back to Tracer in surprise. "You have it to. Post-traumatic stress."

"Cheers, love, you figured it out." She smiles sadly and sinks into her seat. "It used to be a lot worse. But it took me quite awhile to get better."

"But why do you have? I know you're an Overwatch agent and that means danger, but what happened that you got so…so sick."

"Did anyone ever tell you where I got my powers? Where I got this?" She taps her chronal accelerator. "And why I always have it with me?"

"No, I mean I know Winston made it for you. I don't know why besides letting you control your own time or something like that."

"Years ago, before Overwatch was disbanded, I was a pilot. I was one of the best actually." She grins as she remembers the good old days. "I was fantastic and I quickly rose through the ranks. Overwatch noticed me and my skill. So they called me and offered me a job with them testing out their new jet, the Slipstream. It was a jet that could manipulate time. One moment it's flying here, the other it's fifty yards ahead. Much like me when I blink." She sighs and looks down at her chronal accelerator. "My first flight on it failed. I disappeared for eight months and was presumed dead. When I reappeared I wasn't normal, I was more of a ghost. Coming and going through time. I even remember some of it, I was a maid in some farm for awhile…I think. The scientists at Overwatch didn't know what to do. Then Winston came along. He built this little gadget to keep me stable. But the experience of being a ghost through time…it never left my mind. Was another eight months before I was ok. And sometimes it still haunts me." She looks back up at me and smiles again. 'That's how I knew, even before Mercy, what you had. And how to distract you. Mercy slapped me more than once." She giggled at the memory. After a few silent moments I hug her tightly. "Oi, you're wrinkling my clothes." She complains, although by her tone I know she's just kidding.

"How can you take it? That same horrifying experience over and over and over again. Forever." I whisper. "Even with your distraction, I swear I hear Rebecca calling me right now and it makes me want to give up. How did you do it?"

"Same way you did during our battle yesterday. Same way you did during this conversation. And with the help of some friends." She replies gently, standing up and wrapping her arms around me to. An embarrassed laugh leaves my mouth and I look up at her, fully aware that I'm tearing up.

"I turned out great, huh? One fight and I'm about to cry."

"You handled yourself better than anyone could expect for your age. I'm the one that messed up. I shot you!" She laughs and strokes my hair, which feels good although I can't help but feel embarrassed. It's like I'm a little boy again, needing the comfort of someone. After a few minutes she leads me to a spare bed and orders me to get some sleep. I nod and, despite having woken up about an hour ago, pass out immediately. And for the first time since my home was attacked…

I have no nightmares.

 **New chapter is finished!**

 **Sorry for such a long wait, turns out summer vacation just means I'm busier than usual. And when I'm not busy I'm lazy! But, as always, I haven't forgotten this story or the people reading it! I've been thinking and plotting quite a lot, to the point where I have an important role for a lot of the characters I'm going to use. Stay tuned for more of your favorite Overwatch characters fighting for good! And some for evil…**

 **On another note, I have a better grasp of them and their abilities. Why? I FINALLY GOT THE GAME. Maybe I'll leave a link next time if I upload a video, but until then don't forget to fav, follow and most importantly /review/ because your opinion is what matters most!**


	8. Chapter 8: Part Of This War

"Jesus Christ." I whisper, looking over everyone. I had woken up early and, after a quick breakfast with the others, we decided to head to the hospital as requested. But I didn't expect all _this._

Patients were overflowing the four story building, the smell of medicine, blood and cleaning products was enough to make me want to get out. But I couldn't, I was stuck watching. Like most buildings here the hospital was a big block made of cement. It was huge, compared to the rest of the town, and probably made recently due to the war. The first floor was completely open with no walls, more like the field of a stadium instead of a hospital floor, and laying on the floor on cots or rushing around were doctors and patients alike. I could hear the cries of pain or grief of the people.

"This war recently pasted the fifty-million death toll." Torbjorn murmured. "I guess this testifies to that."

"And the rest of the world is just standing by? Letting this happen?" I ask in disbelief. "No wonder the Russians dislike people outside of the war. We have no idea." Without saying anything the four of us began making our way to the patients, slowly separating. Torbjorn got stuck in a group of children with minor wounds, probably kept there because they had injured parents somewhere near, and was showing them how to build a few things, smiling and laughing as if nothing was wrong. Tracer was rushing around as always, saying inspiring things and smiling cheerfully at the most injured patients. I saw them smile back, sit up to see her. Talk to each other in something like disbelief as she passed. Mei was with the doctors, who were all clearly fatigued, and helping them by freezing certain wounds on some patients. They must've done this sort of thing before, when Overwatch had still been around, because the three agents seemed perfectly fine. But I could see that while some were happy others seemed mad, yelling certain things at them. Maybe because, as I had said, we were outsiders. We hadn't been through the horrors of this war. And me? I couldn't do anything. Just stay where I was and hope I don't interfere with the doctor's work.

Suddenly two men busted in through the door, yelling loudly over the noise of the injured. The first was carrying a young girl, my age maybe, and behind them another man was bringing in a boy that seemed a couple years younger. They ran and gently put them on some cots, yelling out. Probably for help. I looked around expecting to see doctors rush forward, but instead I saw other patients just grimace and try to console the two men. With a start I realized; there aren't enough doctors. Nobody can help those two. The men must've realized this because one started crying as the other spoke gently to the girl and boy. Pained but trying to remain strong.

"No…" I mumbled, clenching my fists. I don't where it came from but suddenly I felt more confident. In control. "Move out of the way!" I yell at the small group, running towards the two. "Move!" They make way and I run to the most serious injury, the girl. Her leg was completely shredded from the knee down and was bleeding at a scary rate. I observed it for a few seconds before reacting. "Someone get me a laser saw!"

"We no have." A woman said.

"Give me anything that can cut meat and bone! A sedative to!"

"T-there are no tools here…" The injured girl murmured, sniffling. "I'm going to die."

"No, you're not." I answer, turning to where Mei was. I call out to her and her face turns serious. She runs towards me and I point at the girl's leg. She freezes it and, much to my surprise, the girl sighs in relief. It must've numbed the pain. I grab my rifle, which Torbjorn had returned to me this morning, and raise it. "Look away…it won't be pretty." A few men react and hold her down, then one I assume is her father, grabs her hand and murmurs something to her. Without hesitation I slam the butt of my gun into her frozen leg and it breaks off in a few pieces. She screams, but I'm not done. "Torbjorn!" I turn and see he's already by my side, having seen what was going on. "I need you to cauterize the wound."

"Understood." He says grimly. "Hold her steady." He orders, and I join the other men holding her down. I murmur words of encouragement and watch as Torbjorn pours smelted iron over his gun, which didn't seem affected by it. He gives me a nod and I look back at the girl. She also gives me a slight nod. Torbjorn presses his weapon against her flesh and I swear I can smell cooked meat. She screams at the top of her lungs and struggles against us uselessly, but I see the outline of a smile as she slumps into unconsciousness, glad that this had happened. I had given her another chance at life.

" _Puasiva_." The girl's father said, smiling at me as tears ran down his cheeks. At least it was something like that, and I decide to take it as a thank you. But my work isn't done. I turn to the boy and grimace, noticing this will be much more difficult to fix. He has a wound on his stomach which is bleeding badly, the blood seeping through a makeshift bandage someone put on him. At closer inspection I realize he doesn't have a bullet in him, he has fragments of a bullet. That will make it much harder.

"Pincers. I need small pincers." I say. Torbjorn repeats what I say louder and a few of the Russians that understand English scramble around. One woman returns and gives me a pair of dirty nail-clippers. I sigh but take the, cleaning them as best as I can. I stick some cloth in the boys mouth and, with help from his father, tell him to bite that until I'm done. Mei does a short, quick blast on the wound to stop the bleeding somewhat and numb the flesh. Maybe it will help numb the pain, and on my order some men hold the boy down. He gulps but gives me a fearful nod. "Ok…I got this." I murmur to myself as I carefully pinch one fragment. He doesn't react, but the second I begin to pull it out he screams into the cloth and begins to struggle, forcing me to stop despite the men holding him. I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to see Tracer looking at me with a serious face, she holds out a needle and I understand. She found a sedative. I take it and inject it into the boy, watching him slump and close his eyes. It's now or never. I clip the first fragment and carefully pull it out. I move to the second, and then make a careful incision and pull out a third which is deeper. It's careful meticulous work. I'm forced to do it slowly so I don't cut the boy, and I keep having to dry my hands because they're getting sweaty. But after twenty minutes I realize I'm done. All the fragments are gone. Torbjorn cauterizes the wound as he did with the girl before.

"Will they live?" One of the men asks me fearfully. I wipe my brow and stand up. Didn't these people realize how desperate I am? That I'm no doctor, I just reacted. That I myself couldn't be sure if I even did the right thing. I look over the crowd of people that has gathered and, somehow, I can tell why they're waiting for my answer. They look up to me in this moment, despite how desperate or inexperienced I may be, because I'm all they have right now. I'm their hope.

I give a small nod and then force a smile, yelping in surprise as he hugs me and says something in Russian. He yells out in relief and it's obvious he's announcing it the others. I've saved them. These two children will live. As the group settles down I look around and notice that everywhere I looked the patients were watching me. A few with smiles, others with respect, and the ones that had gotten mad at our sudden interference gave me slight nods. As if saying, yes, I am part of this now. One woman stands up, she has a broken arm and a bandaged head, but her voice rings out clear in the room and she must be a soldier because she salutes me. Soon enough half the room follows her example. I hear someone cough behind me and turn to see the commander and Zarya standing there. Zarya looked extremely surprised, and the commander seemed to be hiding a smile.

"I think it is time we go over those plans, yes?" The commander says, walking outside before we can answer. Zarya recovers herself and nods to the door. After a few moments we follow and as I look back I notice the hospital, which was such a depressing scene when I walked in, is now full of life. The doctors are rushing around as if they got an adrenaline shot and several patients with minor wounds are trying to help out as well, plenty of them smiling at the rest. And this makes me smile to.

"Feels good, right?" Torbjorn asks with a chuckle as we walk away. "Now you understand. This is why we were so important. This is what Overwatch is about!"

"This is why so many people put their faith in us." Tracer said, ruffling my hair. "You did fantastic in there."

"This is how it was before? You guys had to go through that more than once?" I asked.

"Countless times! Don't get me wrong, this isn't all that Overwatch was meant to be. But it might be the most important part. We're a beacon!"

"A beacon of hope." I murmur, to which Tracer nods and smiles.

"But how did you know what to do?" Mei asked me, her look showing newfound respect. "I never heard anything about you having medical training."

"I asked Mercy to teach me some things. We never practiced much surgery but…I remembered some things. Still, freezing and breaking a leg isn't something doctors would do. I just followed my gut."

We follow the two Russians to what I assume is their command center. For once the place doesn't look outdated. The building was small with four rooms and one floor, but it was entirely made of bomb resistant metal and inside had plenty of people on high tech computers, holo-panels and studying war maps. I looked at one board and saw that the Russians weren't as weak as they looked when I arrived. Somewhere near there were divisions of tanks and countless aircraft ready to help. But why hadn't they moved in already?

"In here." Zarya said, waving us into a room all the way in the back of the building. Once we were all in she closed the door and sealed it behind us. The commander sat at the head of the table, which was the only thing inside here. We took our seats around it.

"So what's the plan?" Torbjorn asked casually.

"And how do we help you?" Mei asked.

"Just a reminder. Everything and anything said and shown here is classified." The commander said. "We shouldn't even be working with you since it is illegal. But we must, in exchange for your help we will keep the fact that you have returned secret and you have the full support of Russia, as long as we can keep our relationship hidden of course. Zarya will go with you after this mission as well since the war will be over."

"Must be big, if this can stop the war." I said. "How come nobody's done this yet? Whatever it is."

"We need to get jet where jet can not go. Meaning, all our pilots get shot down before getting close enough to the target." Zarya explained.

"Wait, how about we start from zero. We agree to these terms and you can show us the actual battle plans." Tracer said. She and the commander had some sort of staring contest before he gave Zarya a nod. She pulled a small device out of her pocket and put it on the table. It flickered to life and displayed three big buildings.

"These are Omnium. Buildings designed to create Omnics." The commander said. "In the first Omnic crisis Overwatch, and other forces, deactivated the Omnium. But they automatically reactivated which is what started the second crisis here. So we need to destroy it. No deactivation. Nothing will be left of it to ever pose a threat to us ever again."

"The problem is," Zarya began. "getting in through the ground is impossible. We tried. We send men, tanks, robots, but Omnics have…ah, how do you say? Bunker, they have many bunkers firing at any ground troops we send."

"So you fly in, manage to get through the air defenses and drop some men. They get in and you're set." Tracer said.

"It is not that easy." The commander replied. "We tried aerial assault several times. Helicopters are too slow, and our jets can't get past the anti-air guns even with their speed."

"So how do you fix that?" Torbjorn asked.

"Here, here and here." Zarya said, pressing three parts of the map. Immediately the three locations zoomed in and it showed us several Bastion units around big gun emplacements. One gun swerved slowly and immediately fired plasma into the sky at an incredible rate. "These guns not only shoot down plane, they give infantry very good cover. How did Omnics build artillery so close to us? While they were working the gun emplacements other Omnics attacked, and the guns rained hell down on us. Luckily they are far enough to not hit the village directly, but they've made any type of advance impossible."

"So we take out the three emplacements, some fighters can slip in and bomb and the Omnium?" I asked, although I suspected it wouldn't be so easy. The commander confirmed my suspicious with the shake of his head.

"The heart of the factories are deep underground." Torbjorn explained. "So they could survive any sort of bombardment. We take out the guns, get some jets to drop in troops, infiltrate the factories and rig them to blow. It'll be dangerous, suicide to most."

"Which is where you four come in." The commander said. "We take out the guns, let you go inside. You have the skill we need for this mission. I'm confident you can get inside, make your way to the heart of the central factory and detonate it. As soon as that one is destroyed their will be a chain reaction, and the other factories will follow."

"That's still more dangerous than I'd like." Tracer said, intently studying the map. "Us four versus the entire enemy army?"

"Once the guns are down our jets will bomb the bunkers keeping our tanks at bay. Once those are gone we will send in ground troops. As soon as the ground troops enter combat you four, and me, will go in and destroy the Omnium." Zarya said. "This will be the final battle. It is our only hope of stopping the machines before they spread. But we must be quick, even with heavy armor and air support this is an Omnic stronghold. Our forces will have to retreat or we will lose too many lives."

"Well, don't forget about Talon." I said, earning everyone's attention. "They were manning those artillery emplacements we took out. So they must be working with the Omnics. Hell, they might have reactivated the Omnium to start this entire thing. I'm sure we'll find Talon presence there to."

"But why would they do this? What do they gain?" Zarya asked.

"I'm not sure…could be a distraction? Maybe they just want destruction? I mean they're also fighting in the US and they have no reason to be attacking random towns. Far as we know."

"If we find Talon soldiers we will capture some for interrogation." The commander said. "For now focus on ending the Omnic Crisis."

"Don't worry, sir. We did it before and we can do it again!" Tracer said with a smile.

"Aye, we can manage this." Torbjorn said.

"Indeed." Mei agreed.

"Ok, then let's go blow stuff up." I said with a wide smile, hearing an explosion outside. Then another, than a third. A few seconds later the alarms sounded indicated an aerial raid.

"Why did you say that?" Zarya complained as she opened the door and dashed out, grabbing her weapon.

"Go! Do what you can! I will make sure our defenses continue in place!" The commander said. Tracer zipped outside before any of us could react, I ran after her with Mei and Torbjorn behind me. As soon as I made it outside I could see things were not well. Several buildings were on fire, people were running around in panic and I as looked at the sky I saw Russian jets chasing Omnic aircraft. My eyes followed one jet that followed the Omnic a bit too far out, and immediately bolts of plasma torn through the jet and it burst into flames.

"So that's why we have to take those guns out. Great." I ran to the right where I had seen Zarya go and found her with Tracer, both behind cover. Down the street were three bastion units in turret form and they opened fire. Mei raised an ice wall in front of me and I dashed to Tracer. "What's the plan?"

"They've managed to get inside several parts of the town. Zarya says the men made a perimeter around the command center of a few blocks, but the fighting is everywhere. So we work we what we have!" Tracer turned around the corner and emptied her guns. "Push them back, and try to save the civilians." After that she blinked forward, jumping above the barrage of bullets and then blinking to a side. It was hard to tell but I think she was giggling. Her guns blazed and the three bastion units blew up. I aimed at a nearby rooftop and fired in bursts, taking down a few Omnics with rifles. Zarya was yelling something in Russian and firing purple plasma grenades from her gun. Torbjorn and Mei were no where to be seen, probably trying to help out somewhere else. I took a deep breath and ran forward into a house and, seeing three Omnics, immediately kicked one back and hitting the other with the butt of my gun, mowing the third down. A bastion unit crashed in through the wall firing and I immediately activated my shield, returning fire. He fell down, dead. But only after my shield was depleted and a few bullets pinged off my armor.

"Ok, so this thing can run out. Better remember to take cover." I said to myself as I ran out the hole in the wall, back into the street. Zarya and Tracer had already made it up the block by themselves and by the sound of it I assumed the Russian soldiers on the other streets were keeping pace. I cursed and crouched behind a broken column as bullets whizzed by my head. "Tracer I'm pinned!"

"Got your back, love!" She replied, blinking forward a few times and throwing a bomb before recalling herself back. The explosion was mixed with the sound of shattered metal and I turned the corner, firing on the few survivors. Once the shooting stopped Zarya yelled something in Russian, and a family of five peeked out the doorway and ran down the street. She exchanged some words with the five before they ran off in direction of the command center.

"Reinforcements. Fresh troops." Zarya announced. "They are moving in and clearing the town. Everyone already fighting is pushing to the front of the town, trying to drive them back. Will you join me at the front or stay here in the town?"

"Front." I immediately answered. Tracer nodded in agreement and the three of us began running down the streets, past other Russian soldiers and shooting at some of the stragglers. "I give you guy's credit, it's been less than an hour and the Omnics are already retreating."

"Something is wrong, the Omnics never retreat." Zarya replied. "Be wary, I fear they have made some sort of trap." There wasn't much more time to talk after that. We walked in between two houses and found ourselves out in the open after that. In front of me was an endless expanse of white snow, rubble and craters. I saw bullets fly through the plain and I could see the Russian soldiers in white camouflage fighting against the dark hued Omnics which were easily seen in middle of all that snow. We followed Zarya down the hill and into the plains with a group of soldiers, who were hiding inside a crater. She exchanged some words with the squad leader then turned to us. "The Omnic have stopped trying to advance, but they aren't letting up either. Bastion units have made a wall of sorts in middle of the plain and are raining bullets down on us."

"What's the plan?" Tracer asked.

"Boy goes in front, destroys some of the Bastions and makes a hole in their wall. We follow afterwards and give him cover as he goes."

"Are you crazy?! Even in my armor I'll get torn to shreds!" As if to prove my point one of the soldiers stood up, yelling loudly as he fired and a wall of bullets tore through his body. "See? I won't get close."

"Trust me, I always have plan." Zarya said. I turned to look at the soldiers and as another one fell a felt fear overcome me for the first time since the artillery came down on me. Fighting them with lots of cover was one thing, running towards them with people shooting uselessly behind me was another. I shook my head rapidly and backed up as an explosion sounded. "Go now!' Zarya yelled, but I only shook my head again. She spat something to me in Russian and went to the edge of the crater, firing grenades in a high arc. I turned to Tracer but she seemed disappointed. Let down. Without a word she went over to the crater and also began firing. Why did she give me that look? It was like Zarya's, in a way, very disapproving. Then it hit me. This wasn't just a battle, not in my case. It was a mission, a very important one at that. It was my _first_ mission. This is where I proved if I could handle myself, if they could rely on me and go into the fray knowing I had their backs. Right now, I wasn't only fighting for the people of this town or even the country as a whole. I was fighting for my spot on the team.

"Training. Go over training. What did Reinhardt and Genji always tell me to do?" I whispered to myself. "Go over inventory. Ok, I have my gun, super pistol, pink knife, armor with the shield. The shield won't last long and even with this armor I'll get shredded. So I can't run out there. What else do I have? Think…think…" I closed my eyes and tried to go back to the day I left, when Winston was explaining the armor. A smile appeared on my lips. "Zarya! Tell your men to focus their fire on the right! If you can distract the Omnics I'll sneak in through the left!"

"How will you sneak behind them? There is no cover at all!" Zarya yelled back.

"Just trust me!" I gave her an encouraging nod and, reluctantly, she began announcing the orders through her comms. A few minutes later she gave me a nod and I stood up, turning invisible. "I have five minutes, so if I didn't open a hole in that time then assume the worst." I yelled.

Let me tell you, going through the middle of a battlefield with two armies on each side is the worst experience that can ever happen to you. At least normal soldiers are together when they do this, but me? I was alone. First there are the bullets and explosives, more than once I felt bullets ping off my armor and I barely managed to dodge the few grenades that came my way. Second of all, the bodies. Obviously the Russians couldn't afford to come out here and collect their dead, so the air was filled with a horrible stench and bodies in different stages of decompositions were lying here and there. This image just filled me with determination and I pressed forward.

"Are you close?" Zarya asked through comms.

"One more minute to get there. Two for me to reappear. Get ready to give me cover." I answered. Here we go. I took a deep breath and poured on speed, sprinting straight for the line of Bastion units and vaulting over them. When I turned around I saw a blue light on each one's back. A weak spot? I didn't ask them, instead emptying my magazine on the first. Five other Bastions turned my way as their friend blew up and I prayed the two minutes I had left of invisibility weren't up. They turned back around and continued firing at the Russians and, instead of firing my gun, I chose to be smarter. I went behind a Bastion and grabbed his sides, reappearing in that moment. The others spun to face me but I spun the robot in me hands with all my strength and they received a hail of bullets from their ally. Finally the Bastion unit I was holding realized its mistake and stopped so I fired in its weak spot and rolled away, fragments of metal pinging against my armor as it exploded. I could here the other Bastions that were on the other side whirring up to shoot me but someone tackled me down and several explosions sounded. When I looked up I saw Tracer above me, looking away and firing but having one knee on my chest, pinning me down. A Bastion came from her left and, having one hand on my rifle, I destroyed it.

"Thanks, love." We both said at the same time, smiling widely afterwards. I turned to where the other Bastions had been and saw that now only small craters remained with a pinkish hue. Zarya's grenade launcher. A moment later she appeared with a group of soldiers, who pressed on. Tracer got up and followed them, blinking ahead. I'd decided to lie on the ground for a few more seconds and catch my breath.

"Very good, boy." Zarya's voice said. I looked to my right and she was there, offering me her hand. No more disapproval. She was actually smiling. I took her hand and she pulled me up.

"My name is Alessandro, you know?" I said as I reloaded.

"I know…boy." She laughed heartily and together we ran back into the battle.


	9. Chapter 9: Barbecue Dinner

_Ever since I arrived here I was a welcomed sight. When my mother, Ana Amari, would bring me I'd have the time of my life. And, although things were more serious now and there were a few new faces, I'm glad to see that a lot of the members I once knew are still here. Winston always intimidated me, but now that I am not a child we get along better. Mercy was, and still is, the kindest person I know. Despite a decade of separation that was no doubt filled with many hardship she is still the same. Reinhardt looks no different! He just grew some more hair, but is still the same honorable, battle hardened knight that used to carry me on his shoulders. McCree is…well, McCree. He is very kind, yet seems to stay by himself a lot. Ah, I remember the fun we used to have. He would take me to the range and, since I wasn't allowed to fire a weapon, he would show off his abilities to me. Torbjorn and me haven't spoken much, since he recently left to another mission. But he seems just as friendly and interested in his work as ever._

 _But not everything is the same. Not everything is good. Commander Morrison passed away when the original headquarters, the place mother used to take me so I could see the heroes, was destroyed. My mother herself died before that could happen, apparently killed by Talon. Reaper says he is the responsible for it, but I don't believe him. Looking back on the situation it seemed he was trying to unnerve me, and it worked. Gabriel is gone, he and I never spent much time together but he was always kind to me. I'm having a theory of where he is now, something connected to Reaper. It seems quite obvious but I pray I am wrong._

 _And then there are the other changes. The new heroes. Dva doesn't impress me much, but I've heard that she used a powerful mech and has helped suppress the Omnic beast that has invaded South Korea several times now.. And then there is the boy…I don't know what to think of him. I haven't seen him in action at all and when we spoke, one brief conversation, he seemed more of a civilian than a soldier. And when he went to Egypt with the rest he was certainly not combat ready. Still, if the others put enough faith into him that they sent him to the fray, the middle of the Second Omnic Crisis, he must be stronger than meets the eye. And of course there is me. I am no longer here for fun and games, to admire the heroes I once knew. Now I am the hero. I am their partner. I should feel happy, this was my dream for the longest time, but there are holes in this family. There is an unfixable sadness to the original members, and a type of ignorance the new ones have. I have no doubts Overwatch will return to its former glory, but will its people find happiness? So far they have not. And it makes me wonder, what will happen if they rise back up? If we rise back up. Will we be forced to shut down? Will we fight those who try to split us apart again? I may not know what will happen, but I do know this. I am a part of this family now, I am a hero. And I will not let this family be torn apart again, I won't lose them for so long. Not again._

"Fareeha? Fareeha there you are." Angela's voice said from my door. I quickly scribbled the date on the page and closed my journal, turning to see her.

"Yes, you have been looking for me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Jesse decided that he would try and lift our spirits up. He's made, how did he put it? A meal from the wild west. I can only imagine what he's made; I never took him to be a cook."

"That is kind of him." I answered, standing up. "I'm sure the food isn't _that_ bad."

"Don't worry, if it gives anyone food poisoning I will be there." Angela joked, making me smile as we walked towards the dinning room.

"Can you heal yourself with that staff?" I asked, genuinely curious. I hadn't ever seen Angela require medical assistance. The worst she ever had was a headache, and that was simply because she had too much to drink the night before.

"I don't get sick." She replied. Her tone was kind, but it had an edge to it. As if I was crossing some sort of line. I couldn't imagine what it could be so I just kept quiet and decided to not push the subject. The two of us entered the room, which was huge and simple decorated, and are greeted brightly by Reinhardt, who is out of his armor and wearing jeans and a sleeveless denim shirt. He already had a cup of whiskey, which Jesse was refilling, and by the slur in his voice he must've already taken a few shots. Dva was poking some meat with a fork, looking hesitant. Winston, who didn't eat meet, was having banana with peanut butter. (That couldn't be very healthy.) Reinhardt's companion, Bridgette, was waiting patiently for everyone to sit down. I didn't know much about Bridgette, she mostly keeps to her own in the workshop. She met Reinhardt after Overwatch fell and turned into his partner.

"Sit down, we're all ready to eat." Jesse said with a smile, taking off his hat for once and taking a seat. Angela sat next to him and I took my seat opposite her, in between Bridgette and Dva.

"What is this supposed to be?" Dva asked.

"What do you kids eat nowadays?" Jesse asked surprised.

"American kids eat this?" Dva asked, just as surprised.

"I don't think there is one American here besides McCree. We can ask Alessandro when he gets back." Bridgette said. This was like a dark wave over the group. At the mention of him, they thought of where he was. Who he was with. And what they were in right now. This was something that happened even when I was a girl, and a feeling I knew well. No matter how skilled the people were, no matter if the mission was easy or hard, there would be worry. It was sweet to see, if I'm honest.

"Barbecue is something plenty of Americans do." Jesse answered. "And Koreans, I think. It's universal. Take a bite; I'm sure you'll like it." He grumbled something else about Korean kids not knowing a good meal when the see it, but my eyes were on Dva. She cut a piece with her knife and put it in her mouth.

"Well?" Angela asked, shaking her staff slightly and giving me a wink. _Food poisoning._ I almost laughed. Dva's face lit up and she gave a quick nod, not even bothering to speak. Now I did laugh, and the rest joined in.

"Barbecue, I meal fit for a warrior!" Reinhardt yelled, grabbing the ribs with his hands and taking a big bite. I turned to see Angela take a bite and she nodded at Jesse.

"Delicious, I didn't know you could cook." She said appreciatively.

"Just a few dishes. I don't do it often." He said as he took a sip of his whiskey. "Me and my gang used to make this in the old days after a heist. If things went well. If I remember correctly Gabriel and Jack were the ones who caught us with our pants down during a barbecue. Right after we robbed a bank."

"You were a criminal?" Bridgette asked surprised. I saw her confusion, I wore the same expression years ago when I learned this.

"For awhile. Overwatch caught the entire gang, but instead of jailing me they offered me a job with them because I was such a good gun." He spoke so casually about this I was a bit surprised. Seeing Bridgette's confused look he sighed. "Because I was skilled." He clarified.

"I remember Ana despised that." Reinhardt said. "She fought to have you jailed, my friend. And then what happened? She ended up turning into a great friend of yours!"

"If I remember correctly, captain Amari loved my cooking more than anyone." Jesse said with a chuckle. "One time I made barbecue just for her. I think that's what made us friends. The food."

Oh how jealous was I. If only I could speak of my mother so casually, or think of her without having an entire world of pain, grief and loneliness crash into me. Angela must have noticed my mood because, without looking at me, she took my hand and gave it a light squeeze. Just like she did when I was little and would have a scrape or cut.

"Who was Ana?" Dva asked, looking up from her plate for the first time since we began. I was surprised to see her plate was empty. "And can I have more?" Jesse and Reinhardt shared a laugh as he served her some more ribs.

"Ana was one of the founding members of Overwatch." I told Dva. "Captain Amari was an excellent sniper, the best. She was a highly decorated soldier. Sadly, she passed away. Although this was before Overwatch was disbanded." I kept my voice leveled and my eyes on my plate, taking a bite of my rib. But it must have been obvious how bitter I was because Reinhardt and Jesse went quiet.

"How do you know that?" Dva asked, clueless to everything. Of course she wouldn't know, and I doubt this appeared in much conversations. "You weren't a member of Overwatch."

"My name is Fareeha Amari." I replied simply. It took her a few seconds but she understood. Her face went from surprise, to pity.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She said quietly. For once, I wasn't mad to hear those words. Coming from Dva…it was like listening to one of my partners from Helix Security. She understood, I can tell. She's been through something similar. If the mood hadn't dimmed before, now it was completely subdued. Even Reinhardt had stopped drinking his whiskey.

"But if she were here," I added. "she would probably scold us for having this without her. Jesse is right, she loved his barbecue." I took another bite and a sip of whiskey. "And so do I."

"Cheers to that!" Winston said, finally speaking since he had finished his peanut butter. We all laughed seeing peanut butter covering his face and we grabbed our glasses and clinked them together. Soon enough the conversation turned to happier moments of each others loves. Bridgette questioned the others a lot about the old days, but did her best not to pry. Dva was more than happy to explain to Reinhardt, who was much too old to understand, about twitch streaming and videogames. Angela kept quiet, eating her food and laughing at whatever joke Jesse whispered to her. We sat there for a few hours laughing, speaking and drinking. The barbecue finished quickly (I was to blame, but in my defense Dva had quite a lot) and after an hour it was clear we all had one glass too many of whiskey. Dva was having a hiccup attack and giggling every two seconds. Angela's face was red and she seemed a bit dizzy, Reinhardt was trying to convince Bridgette to try on his armor for some reason and Jesse couldn't stop laughing as Winston made bad impressions of people from the wild west. Even I was quite tipsy, trying in vain not laugh at Dva.

"Fareeha, do you plan to drink that by yourself?" Reinhardt roared. With surprise I noticed I had grabbed an entire bottle of whiskey and taken a sip from it. Reinhardt simply laughed. "You have the liver of your mother! She drank a lot, the few times she accepted a drink!"

"I wonder who could drink more." Dva said with a slur to her words. "Reinhardt, or Fareeha?"

"Me of course!" He roared, sounding offended. This led to the others pushing us two into a drinking contest. It took awhile but I finally relented and Jesse brought extra shot glasses and poured the whiskey into it.

"Whoever gets sick first loses. And I am not cleaning up any messes." Angela said, although she took one of the glasses and drank rapidly. "And I doubt I am in any shape to heal you, so you'll have to deal with any headaches by yourselves."

"In my day we didn't need magical healing! We took our drink like real men!" Reinhardt replied.

"Like real men? Then are you ready to get beat by a woman?" I asked with a smirk.

"Get wrecked!" Dva called to Reinhardt, giving me a fist bump and giggling. I didn't understand the term, but it was nice either way.

"Just start drinking already!" Winston said, he and Jesse having been murmuring bets to each other for a bit now. Reinhardt took his first glass and I followed. His second and so did I. We continued like this for a few minutes until it was obvious neither of us should continue. I could barely see straight and the old warrior had fallen out of his chair twice already. But he was stubborn, and in my drunken state so was I. We both drank our last glasses and, since nobody had lost yet, Jesse refilled three more for each.

"Come on Fareeha you can beat him!" Dva cheered.

"You have your mother's liver." Angela reminded me with a giggle.

"You got this Reinhardt!' Bridgette cheered, smiling widely.

"I got twenty bucks on you." Jesse said, which wasn't very inspiring. Winston huffed, eyeing Reinhardt with worry. Reinhardt drank two of the three glasses with difficulty, but on the third he said something in German (probably a curse) and flicked the cup aside. His head landed on the table and he began snoring. Bridgette, who was the only to not get drunk, laughed loudly and pet his back.

"Well, Fareeha?" She asked. "Do we have a tie or can you drink the three?"

"Behold." I said with a stupid grin. "How an Egyptian drinks." I downed my first glass, and the second, and then after giving Bridgette and the sleeping Reinhardt a smirk I downed the third. Dva and Angela cheered, laughing while they did so. Jesse held out a hand and Winston gave him twenty dollars. Bridgette shook her head, although she was smiling, and asked Winston to help her drag Reinhardt to bed. The rest took that as the cue and, too drunk to properly clean up, we all began heading to our rooms. I found myself alone in the halls with Angela, having her support me with some difficulty.

"Fareeha, I'm not the strong one of us two. You're going to have to walk better." Angela complained with a smile. I laughed and instead of walking I let myself weigh her down. That ended up in a small, surprised yelp leaving her lips as we spun and fell to the ground. Angela now on top of me.

"Walking is second-rated." I joked, earning a laugh from the doctor. Her halo fell off her head and I put it back on her. "I never thought I would see a drunk angel."

"Me neither." Angela said with a cute grin, one hand going through my hair. After a few moments I felt my face flush and she laughed. "Come, Egyptian angel, it's time for bed." She stood up and offered her hand, which I took and got up. The two of us walked together until we reached Angela's room. She turned to me at the door.

"If this was how the members of Overwatch spent their nights, I wish I had joined sooner." I said to her, receiving another one of her beautiful laughs.

"I wished you had joined us sooner as well. Such fun." She murmured happily. She added something else, but it was in German. I was about to ask what she said but she leaned forward and gave me a kiss on the cheek, closing the door and leaving me completely red-faced.

I frowned as I unzipped my Valkyrie swift-response suit. Or as Lena often called it, the angel suit. Normally I wouldn't wear it to these small events we had, but Jesse's offer caught my by surprise. I found it hard to focus as I slipped into my white shorts and white t-shirt with the Overwatch logo. The rug felt good beneath my feet, nice and plush. But the bed sounded more tempting. I was making my way there when I heard a ringing on my desk. What could that be? My cell phone didn't have that ringtone. The only other things I have that ring are my clock and the small device I had to contact Alessandro. I had given it to him a week before he left, in case he ever got in trouble somehow and needed help.

 _Why am I thinking about this?_ I thought to myself, and then shrugged. _I need my sleep._ Then I heard the ringing again, loud and insistent. _Right, I was remembering how I gave Alessandro the twin to that device in case he needed help, and to keep in touch. Wait it's ringing!_ I cursed at myself in German and grabbed it from the desk, sitting down and pressing the one button on the device. Immediately Alessandro's face appeared, and a second later Lena was mushing against him with a silly grin, waving at me. He pushed her away with a laugh.

"Hi Mercy, did we wake you?" He asked.

"No, no I was just heading to bed." I murmured slowly. Curse my mind in this drunk, sluggish state!

"Well, just checking in. I know you wanted to maintain contact. But I just got free time now." He said, frowning. "You're face is red like a tomato, Mercy. What happened to you?"

"Nothing, it's nothing." I answered with a smile. "It's sweet that you worry."

"You're drunk." He asked in disbelief. "Oh my god you're drunk. Never thought I'd see that."

"I am an adult, Alessandro, this isn't my first time drinking with friends and it won't be my last." I answered with a shake of my head. "Is it that much of a surprise that I may have a drink or two?"

"Judging from how weird you sound, and how red your face is, I'd say you had more than a couple drinks." He said with a smile. "Anyway, I called to say that if things go correctly we should be back by tomorrow night. If we aren't back by then, or the day after, send someone to Russia."

"What are you four doing there?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well we just finished defending a Russian town from a giant army of Omnic robots. And tomorrow we're going to end the Omnic Crisis, so I'd say we're making history. Although I wish I hadn't missed you guys this night, I bet it'd be funny to see you drunk."

'Ha ha, very funny." I agreed, trying to sound annoyed but failing. "What do you mean end the Omnic Crisis? We sent you four to recruit Aleksandra, what are you doing?"

"It's a long story, but we'll be back with her. Anyways, I got to go. Plenty of work to do here, see you soon Mercy."

"Angela is fine. Mercy is my codename." I said with a smile.

"Goodnight Angela." He said. I waved at him with my fingers and the device went dark. I immediately laid down on the bed, falling into a deep sleep.


	10. Chapter 10: Dragon Brothers

Shimada castle. Once a grand, gorgeous building which housed only the most privileged of the Shimada clan. Ah, the fun I had enjoyed so long ago in this castle. I'm sure if I entered I could find my room, my old weapons and such. I remember when I was younger my father would tell me, and my brother Hanzo, fantastic stories of heroes and warriors. Some from our past, some from his own imagination. I always enjoyed them, but Hanzo thought me a fool for it. He was always the more serious of us two, and the most dedicated. He was a good leader for our clan, evil that it may have been, and a worthy opponent. But he never saw past himself, and his honor. Never saw what our clan did to other people, or to the world. That is why, when Overwatch saved me, I helped them dismantle my family, I killed my own people. Because they were evil and the world deserved good.

"I see you received my message…and were smart enough to decipher it. You have grown smarter, Genji." Hanzo said behind me. I held back a sigh, and remained sitting cross-legged on the floor, meditating. The last time I was here, on this very balcony, I held a sword to my brother's throat and then revealed the truth.

"Have you accepted the changes to me, and our world." I asked him.

"That does not matter. You wish to speak with me. Do so." Hanzo replied, a hint of anger in his voice. As I suspected, he hasn't accepted me for what I am now. He hasn't accepted that I am alive, and instead of being filled with joy or relieved for my return he is angry.

"You never were good at seeing beyond yourself." I said, standing up and turning to face him. He hadn't changed much since last time, except this time he wasn't trying to kill me. "Do you remember the organization that brought the downfall of our clan?"

"Overwatch…the _heroes._ " By his tone I suspected he held no love for them.

"They did save the world from our corrupt criminal organization." I said. His arm tensed and I could tell what he was thinking. He wanted to grab his arrow and finish me. He has not learned anything from last time, has he? "Hanzo, we were evil. You must accept that. Our clan had been embarked on a quest for power and riches."

"You did not come here simply to lecture me. If you have then I will leave." Hanzo said.

"I want you to join Overwatch, brother." I almost laughed at his expression. First it was shock, disbelief, then anger.

"They are the people who destroyed our clan! Killed our friends and family! Stripped us from our very home!" He yelled. "And you dare ask me to _join_ them?"

"You say this, yet were we any better? Our clan stole, lied, cheated, and _murdered_ others!" I yelled back, my previous amusement replaced by anger, much like his. "Killed people with families, and loved ones, and friends! If you had to destroy one corrupt family, to save several innocent ones, what choice would you make?"

"I would stay loyal to my blood!" He yelled back, one fist clenched and the other clutching his bow so tight his knuckles were white.

"You did that, and it was the wrong choice! Look at our home, Hanzo! Under constant security, open for tourists, known as the head of the criminal world!" I took a step towards him, and he tensed. When I spoke now my voice was softer, calmer. "I went down the path of good, and you went down the path of evil. But you are not evil, brother, you are capable of good. I know you are. Join Overwatch, join _us,_ and we can make the world better."

"Us." Was all his said, notching an arrow in his bow. I stood still and we observed each other for several minutes. The truth was out. I had betrayed my family for a chance to live, and then a chance to make the world better. I believed it was the correct choice, but it still pains me. "You betrayed our family, your flesh, blood, and _honor_ to help strangers."

"Our father always told us to do the right thing. I did so." I said, at the same time Hanzo let the arrow fly and I simply leaned to the left, letting it whiz past my ear. "He encouraged us to grow, to thrive, but also to do well for the world. He was not happy with the empire our ancestors had started, and that he had continued."

"You know nothing! You are a traitor!" Hanzo yelled, pulling another arrow and shooting to his left. It curved to meet me and I leaned backwards, avoiding it by merely an inch. "You joined them, you fought your own, and you _killed them!"_

"By doing say, I saved countless lives. I gave people a future which they would not have received with our clan taking control. We were criminals, Hanzo! We were evil, you must realize that!" I yelled back. He notched another arrow and fired, but three shuriken intercepted it midair.

"You are not worthy of the Shimada name, of controlling the dragons, or of setting foot in this household!" He yelled. I had never witnessed this amount of anger from my brother, not even when he tried to kill me the first time. "You have no family, no friends, and no _honor!"_

"That is enough, Hanzo. I did not come to fight you." I said, but even as the words left my mouth I crouched slightly and grabbed the hilt of my sword. "I still wish you would join us. Overwatch. I told you last time, the world is changing. And it will suffer great evils before any good may return, we can help defeat these evil. We can help this world."

"I would rather die than aid you in this fools quest." Hanzo spat, aiming another arrow. I sighed in annoyance, shaking my head slightly. This was going nowhere, and I didn't come back to my brother so he may kill me again. He needed to be brought down from his pedestal, to be humbled.

It would be a lie if I say I wasn't a bit glad that I would be the one to teach him this lesson.

"This is your last chance, brother. I do not wish to fight you!" I warned.

"I would not enjoy fighting myself either." Was his response as he let the arrow fly, curving upwards and falling towards me. I rolled backwards and shot three shuriken, which he deflected with his bow. I fired three more and ran towards him. He notched an arrow and vaulted over me, spinning around and firing. I ran to a wall and jumped onto it, kicking off and over the arrow, landing behind him and slashing. To my surprise the sword met his bow. He growled and pushed me back, dashing towards me with a kick, which I easily blocked.

"You may have defeated me years ago, Hanzo, but not again. This is pointless!" I said. His foot was still against my arm and in a split second he notched and arrow and fired it at me. I was distracted, trying to reason with him, and it hit me in the shoulder and sent me a few steps back, electrocuting me.

"You believe that, with this monstrous metallic body of yours, I am weaker. That you are invincible?" Hanzo asked, notching another arrow and taking aim at my head as I fell to the ground. "I am not stupid, and I will not fall."

"You are a fool, brother." I croaked, getting on one knee. "You let anger cloud your mind, you let it blind you from what is truly important." I yanked the arrow off my shoulder and, as he fired, used it to deflect his arrow. He seemed surprised and in this moment I rolled to my feet and hit him square in the chest with my palms, sending him flying backwards. He fell and rolled a few times before regaining his footing and charging me. His bow fell down and I jumped back, only to return and have our weapons clash in a shower of sparks. He pulled back and swung his bow, but I kicked him away. With a battle cry he charged once again and, through brute force, managed to send me down the stairs into the building. "This…is not going as I planned." I murmured, getting up and grabbing my head. I turned to see Hanzo notching one of his last arrows. It hit the floor and split into dozens of projectiles, all bouncing around the wall, roof and floor around me. I quickly jumped back and deflected them with a speed that only my robotic body could handle. Once I looked up again Hanzo was already here, and he hit me with enough strength to crack the wall. He jumped, going to land on me with a deadly blow, but I rolled to the side and avoided him.

"You believe you may return, admit your betrayal to our blood, and expect me to understand? Expect me to accept this?" Hanzo asked. "You are no brother of mine."

"Do you remember… the story of the dragons?" I asked quietly. "Our story."

"Once again, you treat the world as the fantasies our father once told us." Hanzo chided, notching his last arrow and aiming it towards me.

"It is not!" I replied, admittedly angry. "It is of us, Hanzo! Do not pretend otherwise."

"And what does it matter? A story made from the rumors of our past. Nothing more, and nothing less."

"It is more than just a simple story. It is a lesson! Why have you always been so blind to that?" I asked. I sheathed my sword and cleared my throat. He didn't shoot me, so I took that as a good sign and continued.

" _For years, the bereft dragon's grief threw the world into discord, and he knew only bitterness and sorrow. One day a stranger called up to the dragon and asked; "Oh dragon lord! Why are you so distraught?" The dragon told him; "Seeking power I have killed my brother but without him I am lost." The stranger replied; "You have inflicted wounds upon yourself. But now you must heal. Walk the Earth on two feet as I do, find value in humility, then you feel peace."_

"Do you not realize it, brother?" I asked, talking a step towards him. "You are still injured, never healed from the grief you have lived with for so long. You have been lost, distraught and alone. Now you must _heal_ , Hanzo. You are no longer alone, and you have no need to fight me. Find value in humility, heal your deep wounds, and finally find peace. And you need not do this alone, brother. We may do this together as we once did so long ago."

His arrow lowered, and for the first time in my life I could clearly see just how much sorrow and pain he held behind his eyes. How alone he must have been, being chased by assassin's, knowing he had lost everything. And now I was glad to avoid the fight, to try and reach out to him. I had done plenty of good to the world, but helping my brother was by far the most important quest I would ever have.

"Prove to me…prove to me you have changed. You are no longer the lazy man who slept around and played games. No longer the man who's joy was found in stories. Meet me here on the day of your death and bring proof of your responsibility. Perhaps then, I will consider your honor restored and join Overwatch."

 _And still, he does not relent. Still the stubborn man I knew years ago._ I thought, but I didn't voice this. After a few moments he turned and left, and I let him go.

Prove that I am a responsible man, one with honor and goals. A strong warrior. I felt as if I had proven enough, but if one last show of strength and honor was needed, then I would give it to him without complaint.

And I knew the perfect way to do so.

 **And here is the new chapter! I quite enjoyed it, and I hope you all enjoy it even more. As always, don't forget to fav, follow and review down below because your opinion is the** _ **most**_ **valued thing. See you next time, heroes!**


	11. Chapter 11: A Stupid Prey

"I _hate_ every single one of you." I said, completely aware of the amount of fear in my voice.

"Only choice, you're the only one who can go invisible and pass the guns unnoticed, love." Lena called from the cockpit of our new jet. It had the latest in stealth technology, going so far as to even hide our thermal signature. It was basically my invisibility for a jet.

"Are you guys sure I won't be shot half way down?" I asked, yelling to be heard over the wind. I was at the back of the aircraft, looking down at the ground which rested thousands of feet below me. I had always been wary of heights, not exactly scared, but nervous. Asking me to jump out of this without a parachute was insane.

"Aye! I know the Omnics defenses well from the last war! You'll fall with three minutes left to spare." Torbjorn yelled back.

"Remember to go spread eagle in the last thousand feet." Mei said, standing next to me. "If they start firing at you press your arms and legs together and shoot downwards, lean in the direction you want to move."

"This plan sounded way better when I wasn't the one jumping." I told her.

"You'll be fine." Zarya said. "Contact us when you have deactivated the first artillery emplacement! We will fly in and, with the Russian forces, destroy the others."

"Remind me again why we can't just do the same to this one, fly in and bomb it." I turned to look at her. She was in her usual gear, loading her weapon.

"The jet is too big and has the slight chance of being detected. If you destroy this we can slip in and get the other defenses by surprise." Mei explained. "Now go, and good luck!"

A scouting team before the mission had shown us that we had no idea what we were facing. Instead of three gun emplacements, there were several all around the base seemingly built over night. So we had to change the plan to _this._ Me jumping out, destroying one to gain attention and let my team slip in, then while everyone was distracted on my point other jets, like this one, would appear and work on the other defenses. Perfect.

"God damn it…" I murmured. "Do me a favor and push me!"

"What?" Mei asked.

"Push meeeEEEEEEE!" I said, yelling as I felt someone shove me mid sentence out of the jet. "OH GOD I HATE ALL OF YOU!" I yelled in the comms.

"Focus. Do you see the base?" Lena asked.

"No! Too cloudy!" I replied. I spun, so my back was hitting the wind and I could talk without eating air. I was sure my heart would burst. "I'll shoot downwards; I won't be able to talk!"

"Why not? Torbjorn asked.

"I CAN BARELY FREAKING THINK HERE FALLING TO MY DEATH SO JUST BE QUIET AND LET ME WORK." I yelled, my fear making me act incredibly angry. I heard Torbjorn mutter something before clicking off his communicator. Ok, time to get to work. I spun again so I was looking down at the clouds. Just as Mei said, I tucked my arms and legs against my body and immediately shot down like a bullet. I had some goggles on, so the wind wasn't messing up my sight. I zipped through the clouds and could see everything clearly. The place looked small from up here, but I knew that those small black things were three huge factories that produced Omnics. The barely visible and definitely smaller specks around them were air and ground defenses. I focused on my target, the speck all the way to the right, and leaned in that direction. My body began moving in that direction but I was going much to fast, so I went spread eagle and seemingly floated upwards several feet as I fell. It was…odd, but now that my initial fear was gone I actually smiled. It was scary but _freaking cool._ A laugh left my mouth as I spun around, and then dived down several feet only to float back up. Is this what flying felt like? Because it was incredible! A laugh left my lips, only to be taken by the wind, as I spun and moved in the air with the delight of a child on Christmas.

"Focus, Alessandro." Mei's voice said through comms.

She was right, I had to focus. Maybe some day I could go skydiving for fun, but today I was in a war. I tucked into a dive again and sped down towards the guns. After a minute I activated my invisibility. Now those below me would see and sense nothing. Well, that was the plan anyway. We'd see in a minute if it works. I t was odd how slow I seemed to be moving. Sure, I was racing down so fast my skin was peeling off my face and my heart was breaking out of my ribs, but I always thought falling took merely a few moments and I had been in the air for easily three minutes. That's how high we had gone.

`"Hey guys, maybe it's a bit late to ask, but the hell am I supposed to land without a parachute?" I asked.

"Well, land might be the wrong term." Zarya said quietly.

"Oh my god please tell me you're not expecting me activate my armor in the last second and crash." I pleaded. Their silence was answer enough. "I swear I'll kill you all when I get the chance."

"After this we'll treat you, promise." Lena said cheerfully. Easy for her to say! I was about to crash down to the ground after falling thousands of feet! My stomach churned and I covered my mouth with one hand. Puking right now wouldn't be fun.

"Spread eagle in three seconds." Mei said. "One…two…three!"

I spread my arms and immediately felt the pressure of the wind drop somewhat. I disabled my invisibility and at the same time activated my armor. Now I was close enough to see the artillery, my target, slowly spin towards me. But it wouldn't have time. I spun so my back would face the ground and closed my eyes.

"Is he ok?" I asked, forcing myself to keep my eyes on the controls and let the others worry for Alessandro.

"He isn't responding, but he's alive." Mei informed me.

"Don't worry Lena, his armor will keep him intact…mostly." Torbjorn said. He was an expert with gadgets and such, but I knew we were all worrying.

" _Please_ , _don't ever make me do that again_." A voice groaned. Alessandro! He sounded a bit pained, but angry. That was good. " _Invisible and under the first gun. Give me a couple minutes to rig the C12 and move to a safe distance. Bastion units are closing in as well so I'll have to be careful._ "

"Roger." I answered. "We'll be ready."

"He really has no combat experience?" Zarya asked, poking her head into the cockpit. I shook my head at her and flipped a switch, keeping us in a type of orbit around the Omnium.

"His hometown got attacked by Talon. We managed to save him and he just ended up staying with us. We trained him, but he's not exactly a great fighter or soldier." I said.

"He seems like a good soldier to me." Zarya replied. "I had my doubts at first, so young, and then when he was too afraid to advance. But he is as strong as any soldier."

"That's the problem. He matches up to any soldier, and in Overwatch we want people who go beyond that." I told her, indicating she come sit next to me.

"He is new, I'm sure he will get to your level soon enough." Zarya said as she sat in the seat next to me.

"I agree, but for now things like theis are a bit out of his range, love. We're only letting him go because we have no choice." I admitted to her. None of us wanted to say this to him, but even if he could fight Talon soldiers and some robots he wasn't exactly ready yet. We didn't want him to join us in this mission and had, privately, looked for other options. "If he fought some of the people we've met…he wouldn't survive. Had we known we'd be helping so much here we wouldn't have brought him along."

"I think you made the right choice." Zarya murmured. "He reminds me of myself, when I started my career as a young athlete. No one thought I was ready for a great level of competition, and I surprised them all. If he met some of your enemies, I'm sure he'd do better than you'd think. He's determined."

I didn't answer her. All of us had our reservations of him joining us so soon. Sure, we had let him come along to Russia, but we hadn't expected to literally jump into the war. Now we were here, and there was no going back. He was here because we had no choice but to let him help. I sighed and turned the jet around, speeding towards the Omnium. Just as I had hoped, as soon as it came into sight the first artillery emplacement bursted into flames. Even from this distance I could see it.

" _Ok guys! I'm moving to the first Omnium, the side entrance. See you there once you and the Russians are done."_ Alessandro said through comes, sounding grim. Had something happened? I heard a few gunshots before he left.

"Everyone, open fire!" I ordered. Immediately a dozen jets, including ours, materialized out of thin air. The artillery emplacements moved slightly side to side, their sensors confused and scrambled from the sudden activity. Trails of smoke sped away from the jets and crashed into the defenses, making them explode. I grinned at the one in my view and pressed the red button on my control panel, sending a volley of missiles to the huge turret. "Justice rains from above!" I said in a very bad imitation of Pharah. I could hear Mei laughing behind me.

I wish I had heard incorrectly. Hell I wish I hadn't heard at all. It shouldn't surprise me. All if it was true! But it bothered my anyway. They didn't want me here, not in this. They still didn't see me as someone reliable and strong, not yet at least. And it made sense! I had a few months training, some cool gear and nothing else. I wasn't a hero. Not yet. I wonder what Lena would say to me, if she knew she had forgotten to shut off her communicator and had broadcasted her words to all of us. Didn't matter. She wasn't lying, she had a point. And once we got back to base I'd make sure to change it, soon enough I'd really be one of them.

 _Focus._ I thought to myself. I looked at the sky and saw several jets poof into existence, shortly afterwards they began destroying the air defenses. Most of the jets would then get to work on the bunkers afterwards, but my team would land and meet me. I had to get to the entrance of the Omnium, through the closest factory. The only problem was the hundreds of Bastions between me and it, firing constantly. I was sure they were about to break through my cover any moment, and it was reinforced steal!

" _You're not moving, are you ok_?" Mei asked me seriously. She was, for now, holding a pad that was tracking us all.

"I'm pinned. Give me a moment." I answered, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. Stop worrying about me, dammit! I sighed and looked around for an escape. I couldn't shoot my way out of this one, they'd surely advance before my invisibility recharged and my armor wouldn't last forever if I walked out there.

I was seriously considering grabbing a hunk of metal to use as a shield and advance on them when my savior came. A Russian jet had been flying overhead and I saw it shoot a pair of missiles. They hit the factory but almost immediately a hail of bullets hit the aircraft, making it burst into flames. It began falling towards us and, as luck would have it, crashed into the large group of enemies in front of me and blew up. I grimaced, knowing nobody could've survived that, and silently thanked the fallen pilots for their help. Knowing not to waste this chance I let my armor spring to life and dashed across the open area, firing at the few Bastions that crossed my way easily. Most of them were destroyed, and the few remaining ones were damaged and trying to repair themselves. I made it to the building without further excitement and stopped at the door.

"Guys, how long?" I asked.

"We're having some trouble up here, give us five minutes." Lena said. I could hear her cheer for some reason, and then an explosion sounded.

"Roger that." I answered. While they were busy I could at least clear out the room. I smiled and went invisible, opening the door.

Very few of my prey were ever challenging enough for me to worry, and I doubt this boy would be any different. After defeating the best sniper in the world very few people had ever presented me with a challenge. I, Widowmaker, was now the best sniper in the world and had proved it time and time again. So I didn't think killing this one, some little boy, would be much different. Indeed, he'd be dead without knowing what killed him. I was surprised he even made it past the Bastion units outside and to the Omnium. I just needed him to open that door, then I'd pull the trigger of my beautiful weapon and- there I'd have it, _un garçon mort._ One dead boy. One less enemy, and one more victory.

I waited, hanging upside down from one of the girders, in complete darkness, and ignoring the five Bastion units below me hiding between the metal crates that occupied the room. I'd kill him before they processed the command to shoot. Then his friends would follow. My smile grew ever so slightly as I saw, through my scope, the handle of the door move. A moment later the door swung open revealing- nothing? No one was there. I frowned and enabled my thermal view, but saw nobody hidden behind the walls either. Where was he? He must have opened the door.

"Hey guys."

I immediately looked down to see him materialize out of thin air, smiling proudly as he quickly and efficiently shot the robots in their weak points and destroyed them. He looked over the room once before lowering his gun and putting a hand to his ear.

"Entrance should be clear, but hurry up before backup arrives." He said.

My sights focused on his face. He was extremely young to be part of Overwatch. I had never hunted someone of his age before. His brown eyes were hard and alert, and I could tell he was mad at something despite being in middle of a war. Of course he was. Little brats acted this way, and that was all he was. The brat wasn't even smart enough to wear a helmet!

"Something's…not right." He muttered to himself. I had learned quickly that everyone, except perhaps the robots, had a sense of instinct. Some had it better than others. Instead of shooting him I smiled and decided to let him investigate the room, perhaps I'd learn something about my enemies from him? He frowned and looked upwards, into the shadows but not where I was. I had to contain the urge to laugh! He was so ridiculous; it was obvious he couldn't see anything. He must've finally come to the same conclusion because he shot a bullet up there, then looked to another spot and shot once more. He was trying to see if anything was hiding up here…smart. Soon enough he'd find me, I had to act.

" _Adieu."_ I whispered, refocusing the crosshairs on his head. He turned blue just as a fired and, much to my surprise didn't die! " _Merde."_ He hadn't turned blue; it was a shield across his entire body. He looked up at me and fired, forcing me to drop down to the ground. I immediately fired another round at him and stepped behind some metal crates as bullets whizzed past me.

"Nice try!" He yelled, firing a burst at the crate. "You got lucky in Egypt, but I'll take you down!"

 _Of course, petit garcon, continue believing that._ I thought. Now I remember him. When the monkey had arrived in the aircraft he had, for some reason, been talking through a megaphone. At the time I barely had a glance at him, but it was obvious he was a civilian. Now he was fighting with them? Overwatch must be recruiting, my superiors would want to hear about this.

"Dammit." I said as I turned the corner, seeing she had already disappeared. That sniper, a person with purplish skin, had nearly killed me. I had activated my shield because something just _felt_ wrong, and afterwards the bullet hit me! I cursed again as my shield sputtered out and died. It'd take a few minutes to recharge, leaving me vulnerable. This was the type of person Lena had referred to earlier, the person I couldn't beat. But she was just a sniper! She got the jump on them in Egypt and on me now, but without the element of surprise I'm _sure_ I could take her down. "Come on out, you coward!" Right now, she could surprise me. I'd have to be careful, let her come out.

" _Pauvre garcon,_ you believe you actually have a chance of defeating me." She taunted, her voice seemingly coming from everywhere. "I am the Widowmaker, and nobody escapes my sight."

"I'll widow your maker, that's for sure!" I yelled back. The only reply I received was silence, probably because I had confused her with my weird comment. One of the many charms of me. "So, you're from France, huh? Want a baguette?" Once again, the only answer was silence. I spun slowly, keeping an eye above me as well as in front of me, but saw no one. Had she run?

 _Click._

I rolled forward as a bullet zipped by me, missing me by a hair, and hid behind a crate. Where had that come from? Before I could react another bullet hit my back, luckily in my armor, and I fell against the crate harshly. My back ached, but the bullet hadn't pierced the metal. I spun and fired at where I assumed she was at, to no avail. She had already moved. I let myself fall to the ground and another bullet, from my left, barely missed my head. I may not know when she would shoot or from where, but as long as I moved unpredictably I'd be fine. I hid behind another crate and activated my shield.

"Can't hit me now!" I yelled, walking out from my cover and looking up at the girders. She _had_ to be up there. A sound of metal over metal made my turn around, and I saw a crate stacked over a few others fall off. I stumbled backwards and it fell where I had stood a moment before, nearly crushing me. Ok, maybe she was a bit harder to kill than I had thought.

"So determined…so angry…why is this, I wonder?" She said, her voice a sweet whisper. I growled and fired randomly upwards, hoping some lucky bullet would hit her.

"Come out and fight!" I yelled. She was a sniper and certainly didn't look built for a fight. If I tricked her into coming down, maybe I could beat her?

"As you wish." She said, right behind me.

I had been playing with him up until now. Pushing the crate over? I merely wanted to make him move into the right position. I few steps backwards. I grappled back up into the girders behind him and watched him blindly fire into the air. I hadn't had such a _stupid_ target since I was hunting politicians in Asia. I could've killed him ten times over by now, if I wanted to. But for once in my life I was enjoying myself a bit too much. It'd be disappointing to ruin that fun so fast.

"Come out and fight!" He yelled, angrier than he probably knew. Obviously something was on his mind, making him more erratic and vicious. Ah, he truly was an easy target. If he wanted me to go down and kill him face to face, why not? I silently fired a poison canister a few crates behind him and then quietly jumped down.

"As you wish." I whispered, right behind him. He spun around and I took a step back, kicking the rifle out of his hands, spinning and kicking him backwards. He growled and ran towards me, not even bothering to grab his gun. He _wanted_ a fist fight. I smirked as he threw his punches, which I easily dodged, and this seemed to infuriate him even more. He spun and kicked, but I blocked it and pulled him closer to me. His face went to surprise and then back to anger, and he tried to head butt me. Head butt me! Truly, no other hero was this bad at their job. I let go of him and stepped to the side, letting him stumble past me. His shield flickering out of life and I fired at his feet, making him jump back behind the crates.

The crates with poison. I heard the steady _hiss_ of the canister releasing its toxin and also heard him yelp in surprise, immediately coughing and desperately moving away. But it was too late; he walked back into view and fell to his hands and knees, coughing wildly. I walked over to him and easily pushed him over with my foot, pressing the barrel of my gun to his head.

"You cheated." He muttered through his coughs, pulling a knife from his leg. I easily kicked it out of his hand as he tried to stab my ankle.

"Pathetic." I said. "Did you enjoy our fight, _petit garçon_?

"Fuck you." He muttered, sounding weaker. The poison wasn't lethal, but was meant to weaken an enemy.

"You do not realize your situation." I stated, positioning the barrel of my gun over his leg and firing. He yelled out in pain and reached for his leg, but I simply shot one of his arms as well. I waited patiently for him to stop yelling and glare at me through teary eyes. I admit, I enjoyed his pain somewhat. Torment of my prey was something I rarely received.

"You're a bit too cocky." He said after a few moments of silence.

"How so?" I asked, smirking at him.

"How about you ask them." He smiled widely and nodded to the door. I heard a noise, such a familiar infuriating noise, and felt someone tackle into me, pushing me to the ground. I immediately shot my grapple hook to the far wall and sped out from underneath my attacker, from underneath _her,_ and into the shadows. Tracer had, once again, arrived at the right time.

" _Merde."_ I muttered angrily. The boy, who couldn't see me, seemed to be staring straight at me as three other people ran inside. For once, I had failed my mission. I had gotten overconfident.

 _This will not happen again._ I promised, not to myself but to him. Next time he would die. And with that thought in mind I made my escape.

Talon would not be pleased with my performance today.

 _ **Finally, a new chapter. You can blame the long period of nothingness to summer activites and procrastination.**_

 _ **Ok, mainly my procrastination. Sorry!**_

 _ **Don't forget to fav, follow and as always REVIEW because your opinion is what matters most, see you on the next chapter!**_


	12. Chapter 12: The Gamer's Speech

"Hana, please, just leave me alone." I growled, sounding pretty rude even for myself. She grit her teeth and crossed her arms, raising her chin defiantly.

"You've been pushing yourself way too hard, and everyone wants you to stop." She said. They did? I mean, ok, they had asked me to but I didn't know it was that bad. "And if they won't force you, then I will."

"Good luck with that." I answered sarcastically, turning back to Fareeha. The Egyptian seemed unsure of what to do right here. I couldn't blame her. An angry Dva was a scary Dva. "Come on Pharah, I still got time."

"Alessandro Rivero!" Hana yelled, making me freeze. She rarely used my full name, and if she had she must be really pissed. I sighed and, after ignoring her for a few minutes, watched her storm out of the training room. Something told me this wasn't over, she'd be back.

"Perhaps you should go talk to her." Fareeha suggested. I shook my head and raised my fists, indicating I was ready to fight. She sighed and did the same, slowly walking towards me.

After I had gotten shot by that French lady, the one with blue skin that Lena called "Widowmaker" (or "that bloody spider") the others had finished the mission without any difficulty. The Omnium had been destroyed, the three factories damaged to such an extent that they couldn't even be repaired. And me? I hadn't helped at all after my fight. I was too injured.

He's not exactly a great soldier or fighter. Lena's voice rang in my head. I clenched my teeth and ignored the thought, blocking Fareeha's first punch and ducking under the second. She kicked upwards and I jumped out of the way.

We're only sending him in because we have no choice. Lena's voice rang again. I tightened my fists and swung at the soldier who blocked my first punch, then my second, then my third. I growled and performed a roundhouse kick. She easily blocked it and kicked me in the stomach, knocking me to the ground.

Once we had returned from Russia and, under Angela's care, I had healed in a matter of days. I began my training immediately. Next time would be much different; I'd make sure of that. Nobody in the base would doubt my skills or my strength anymore. I had promised myself that. We had been back for only a month and I had already finished my physical training. I was more muscular (not super ripped or buff, mind you, but definitely a bit broader and noticeably more solid), had more stamina and was much faster than I was before. The base's training room, along with me training two months nonstop all day and half the night, were the reason I managed this. The two weeks after that, up until now, I had spent solely my time on training martial arts with Fareeha and my swordplay with Genji. I had gotten better, but not nearly good enough to win. The others had all tried to stop me, convince me to take some more rest, but what was the point in that? It was only a waste of time, and they only wanted me to rest because they didn't think I was capable.

Right?

I sighed and stood up, facing Fareeha again. We waited a few seconds and I did my best to push all these thoughts out of my head. I needed to focus. I needed to improve. I took a deep breath and ran towards Fareeha, jumping into the air with a defiant yell.

/

"I wish she wouldn't encourage him," I muttered quietly, crossing my arms and staring down at the two figures sparing in the training room.

"You know what they say if ya can't beat 'em, join em," McCree said, pulling a chair close to the window and observing with great interest. "Gotta admits Angela, he's gotten better ever since he started pushing himself like this."

McCree and I were watching from the observatory, a small room above the actually ground with a large window from where we could observe training exercises. Alessandro and Fareeha were a blur of movement, dodging and blocking each other's attacks impressively. No one could deny it, he had gotten better quite fast with his new training regimen, but it still had me worried.

"Something happened in Russia. And I don't mean the appearance of Widowmaker." I said. "One thing is to return defeated and be mad a few days, this is an entirely different matter."

"Well, darling, step into his shoes," McCree said, standing up and walking next to me by the window. "First time he failed, he lost his sisters, second time he failed, he nearly died. Wouldn't surprise me that he try his damnedest to improve."

"It's not that, I'm sure," I repeated stubbornly. "I know it's not that. Something else happened in Russia, something he isn't telling us." I flinched as Fareeha hit him in the jaw with a strong punch, making him stumble backward, then roundhouse kicked him in the face. He always came to me at night for his bruises and achiness, knowing I could easily heal them, but it didn't make me feel better when I saw him get injured.

"We'll figure it out soon enough. But I'm worried about something else. Genji's definitely up to something." McCree murmured, pulling out a cigar and sticking it in his mouth.

"He returned a few days after the others and still hasn't told us what he was up to," I replied. "Obviously, he has something in mind, but what?"

"He's also the only one actually encouraging Alessandro to keep up this training." The cowboy reminded me as he pulled out a lighter and lit his cigar.

It was true, while the rest of tried to get him to rest, Genji seemed fixated on training him. He was the one who, after Alessandro had asked, convinced Fareeha to train him as well. But what was the ninja's plan?

I sighed, feeling utterly confused by it all. How I yearned for the simplicity of the old days when all I had to think about was the wounds on my comrades after they had saved a few lives. Things were so much different now. We had to worry about being seen, about Talon, about recruiting, about so many more things than before. And before we were busier!

"Winston wants to send out more people for a mission. Apparently, Athena found more people to recruit." McCree informed me. "And this time, I think it's more of a walk in the park."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked quietly. He seemed to have a reason.

"You're still a sharp one, doc." He chuckled. "Well, Hana's been complaining of being cooped up in 'ere and Alessandro is just working to death. So let's send 'em together on a little trip, I'm sure they'll enjoy themselves."

"Our missions are never easy, they are serious business," I said quickly. "I'd rather he stay out of danger, for the time being, last time didn't go so well."

"Trust me, this one is good for them," McCree assured me. "I've brought it up with the rest and they think it's a good idea. No one knows Hana is with us, and Alessandro has barely been seen. Getting Lucio should be easy."

"Lucio?" I asked, turning to face him. I knew Lucio had led a rebellion in Brazil against some corrupt corporations, freeing the poor from what was basically slavery, but he had been and still is a musician. And a very famous one at that. "I know Hana would love that, she has shown me her Lucio merchandise after all, but Alessandro? Are you judging this all on him being young?"

"Course not. But Lucio ain't gonna be a hard cat to bag, and they can take some time there to enjoy themselves." McCree murmured. Now he seemed a bit odd. I narrowed my eyes and took a step closer to him.

"Hana put you up to this, didn't she?" I asked. He sighed and gave a short nod.

"For whatever reason, she thinks she can help him. But he won't give her a second of his time. He needs to get away, she wants to see Lucio, it seemed like the perfect idea." I smiled and nodded at the window. "Faree- However the hell you pronounce her name just knocked him down. Again."

"We will talk about this in a group, without letting Alessandro know. I don't think anyone wants him to go out again, he's obviously not ready for the challenges our line of work has." I snapped. He raised his hands in surrender and began walking out of the room. But before he left he looked back at me.

"Angela, the kids not ready for what we'll have to do. The only way he'll ever be ready is if we let him out. Something's coming, I don't know what or when, but we'll all need to be ready. That includes him." He mashed the cigar against his robotic arm, throwing it in the garbage before walking out of the room. I turned back to the window, watching Fareeha put Alessandro in a headlock and speak, probably giving advice, as Alessandro glared at her.

"I'd hope none of us ever have to be ready for something that bad," I whispered to myself. "I'd be happy with it all resolved in peace."

/

"Hana, where are you taking me?" I asked.

"No answers until we get there," Hana said, her grip on my wrist only getting stronger as she dragged me through the bases halls. We passed Lena, who raised an eyebrow, and I just mouthed "help". She giggled and pretended not to see us. I had already tried several times to get back to training but Hana wasn't having it. She had found me at my room after my sparring with Fareeha and insisted and taking me somewhere. She was wearing her combat suit, the pink skin tight one, and her makeup was on so I was assuming something was going on. But she kept refusing to tell me. Why would she be mad? I mean, we weren't that close. We just talked and played Starcraft a lot. So why would she be so mad at me? I sighed as she dragged me along, trying to wave at Torbjorn and McCree for help. They both just smiled, McCree giving me a wave, as Hana took me away. I guess, to be fair, I wasn't fighting her too much. Even if I wanted to stick to my new training schedule, I had to admit I was pushing myself too hard and needed rest. I guess now that I was tired I could notice that. But only one-hour rests…can't go too easy on myself. My back ached with each step and my leg hurt, bruised from my fight with Fareeha, which is why she insisted on stopping as soon as she noticed my pained state.

She had given quite a few bruises today.

"Can we at least grab some food? I'm starving..." I murmured in surrender. She turned to me with a smile and handed me an open bag of- "Oh my freaking god, you've got to be kidding." I said, laughing afterward. I grabbed the bag of "Dvitos", a bag of chips with her name. "You have your own brand of chips? Jesus Christ Hana."

"They're great. I'm addicted to my own food." She said, her smile growing as we walked. I stopped struggling and walked along, gently removing my hand so I could eat. "By the way, why do you call me Hana?"

"Uh..." I felt my face turn pink. "Well, I just got used to using everyone's real names here, and i kinda felt that, uh, we were a bit...um..." I looked around, as if the word would just suddenly come or as if someone would explode and save me from this. Screw the "not so close to Hana" bit that I was thinking before. I used her real name because I, in fact, did see her as a good friend and now that I was calm I could admit it to myself.

"You use it because you felt we were...?" She turned, walking backward, and put her hands behind her head. I felt my blush grow and snorted as she grinned.

"I felt you were a big enough bother to merit the use of a real name," I told her, sounding jokingly mean. She rolled her eyes and spun around again, walking correctly.

"I also see you as a good friend, you know." She said, opening a door and walking up some stairs. I followed, closing the door behind me, and depositing the now empty bag of chips in a garbage bin. Neither of us said anything else as we continued climbing, all the way to the roof. Even in silence, she only had to glance at me to see my smile. It did make me happy to know that's how she saw us. I never had that many friend in my regular life, being rather busy, and although everyone here was now my friend Hana was the one I felt most comfortable with. She was the girl my age, she was the one who understood me a bit better, and we even had something in common. I had turned into a soldier because my home was attacked, and so had she. A normal gamer, called upon by her country to fight the strongest enemy we have ever seen, so strong they can't even defeat him they can only fight him until he retreats.

All these thoughts left my mind as we walked onto the roof together.

"Woah." Was all I could say.

/

I had to hold back a laugh as he admired the view. He didn't look silly or anything, but I still found his reaction funny. The roof was overlooking a rocking beach with sea green water, a cluster of mountains far in the distance. The water seemed to glow in the sunlight. I walked towards the edge of the roof and whistled, getting his attention. He turned to me startled, then smiled embarrassedly and made his way to me. He got change after the practice fight and was now wearing black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a blue hoodie. His fashion taste needed some work, but I still thought he looked pretty good. His time here had made him look stronger and more...controlled. He wasn't just some random guy on the street, he had a purpose and it showed. Nobody would be overlooking him anymore.

"Hana, you're staring." He said, smirking smugly as he walked next to me. I shrugged, not even blushing. He might be easy to read, but I had spent a few years in as a diva now, I knew how to hide what I felt.

I sat down, my legs dangling over the edge. His smile disappeared and he seemed...worried? I patted the spot next to me and after a few moments, he sat next to me, staying a bit more behind. I leaned backward, hands propping me up as if I were sunbathing, and just stared out there. We stayed like that a few minutes until he coughed and began speaking.

"How'd you even find this? I mean, I don't see much reason for you to be looking for rooftop access." He pulled his feet away from the ledge and took a deep breath, apparently trying to enjoy this. Why was he nervous?

"I needed some air, and they don't let me go out, so this place appeared to me," I replied, leaning forward and stretching my arms out as a breeze passed. Before I could say anything I felt him grab my sides, pulling me a bit back.

"Please, don't do that." He murmured. I turned to see him looking much more nervous than I thought. And it definitely wasn't because of me, or else he wouldn't be holding my waist. I had seen this before, on a friend. It was the height.

"You're afraid of heights?" I asked, leaning onto him before he could complain. He blushed (which was pretty cute) but just wrapped his arms around me and held me closer.

"Nervous, not afraid. Or else I wouldn't have jumped out of that damn jet in Russia." He said, making me laugh. "It isn't funny! I jumped and they didn't even tell me how to land. Like ten seconds before I reached they ground they were like; yeah by the way you better use that armor or you're going to die. And this might hurt a lot."

"Did it hurt?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Actually, it hurt less than the bullets." He admitted. "The armor left in a flash, but it absorbed the worst of the impact."

If anything he seemed more relaxed now, with the entire situation. His eyes were surveying the view once again and I could see his lip curling in a smile. I'd hate to ruin this, but I had brought him here for a reason.

"Listen, Alessandro," I began, looking away from him. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Yeah?"

"You're not going to like it," I warned. He snorted and waited for my answer. "Ok, I think you need to stop what you're doing. All the training, it's just hurting you. We're all worried." Just as I thought, his expression immediately soured and he sighed. Last time I brought this up we ended up yelling at each other, so I was very surprised when he smiled and spoke in a regular voice.

"I can't. I need to get stronger, at least as strong as you guys." He said.

"You'll get there, with time." I insisted, looking back at him and sitting up, so we were staring right at each other. "But killing yourself through training won't help anyone."

"I'm careful, I won't overdue it." He answered quietly. "Once I get stronger, I'll tone it down. I promise."

"You're already stronger!" I argued, laughing despite myself. "How long have you been training like this? You're faster, stronger, and way more skilled than you were in Russia!"

"True, I won't deny that." He admitted. "But not strong enough. I still can't beat Fareeha in a spar, I still can't beat Genji in a sword fight, even with Angela's classes I suck! We tried a simulated surgery three times. What happened to my patient? Died, all three times. I'm not strong, smart or skilled enough, if I met Widowmaker again I'd die.

"And this training won't do much help," I told him. "I know how you feel Alessandro, I really do."

"Oh really? How so?" He asked in a sarcastic tone. I could feel his heart beating a bit faster, angrier. I was tempted to answer in the same tone, but instead, I kept calm and resisted the urge to argue with him.

"I was like that, once," I admitted. "I was younger than you. Korea had just gotten attacked by the big Omnic monster, and it had almost won. So the government decided they needed pilots, and they turned to the gamers of the country. I was the best the best, so, of course, I was recruited. I was fifteen."

"Damn must've been hard." He murmured, holding me just a bit tighter. "You shouldn't have been recruited."

"Meh, I didn't mind. It was just another challenge. It's still just another challenge. But it's the only one I can't beat, year after year me and the squad go into battle, year after year we lose."

"I thought it was a stalemate. It doesn't destroy the city, you don't destroy it." He commented.

"To most of the world, that's exactly what it is. But to me and the other MEKA pilots, it's a loss. When you fight a boss, lose some teammates, and then have it escape you, that isn't winning or tying. It's losing." My voice had turned bitter, and my fists were now clenched at my sides, but I continued. "The first time we lost, I did the same thing as you. I trained and trained and trained. So hard, and for so long, and the next time we fought? I nearly died. I was still too angry, and even tired, so even after an entire year he almost killed me. A partner of mine had to get me out."

"So, you're telling me I'll fail despite what I do?" He asked, and this time, he sounded sincerely confused. Ok, it wasn't the most inspiring thing I've said, I'll admit that.

"I'm telling you that pushing yourself so hard will just make your odds worse." I corrected.

"Yeah, but you're treating it like a game." He said cautiously, obviously trying not to upset me. "Because that's how serious you take these games, I get that. It's not the same." I was ready to snap at him. For him to even mention me taking it as lightly as a game was infuriating. Yes, I went in thinking and acting like a gamer, but I didn't give it that little importance! But before I could yell at him, he continued. "Widowmaker killed my mom."

"What?!" I asked surprised, turning to face him better. He chuckled lightly.

"The day my home was attacked, well, I was with my sisters and mother. I remember it clearly. We were running across the street, heading towards a friend. He had a gun, he was trying to cover us." I could see his eyes welling with tears already. "O-out of nowhere a drop-ship or something just appeared and the back door opened. Soldiers poured out and I saw her. We stared at each other and I immediately blocked her view of my sisters. She smirked, she fucking smirked, and shot my mother like it was some sort of sick game!" He was yelling now, one hand clenched in a tight, trembling fists. "I didn't even think of her, my sisters were my priority. I know my mom would've approved. But Widowmaker just shot her and smiled at me. She enjoyed what happened."

"Alessandro, I-"

"That's why I need to get stronger." He said, turning towards me. He wiped his eyes and stood up. "She killed my mom, she helped the invasion which got my sisters killed, and she nearly killed me. But I won't let her get away, not next time. Next time I'll be ready."

"No, you won't," I said, standing up and facing him. He opened his mouth to protest and but I put a finger to it and spoke quickly. "Sixteen years old, first time facing the Omnic monster. I lost some of the only people I cared about, and that cared about me in this world, so don't you say I don't understand."

"You...what?" He asked, his face suddenly more serious. I turned, walking a few steps away.

"I had turned pretty popular in South Korea pretty fast, especially when I won the world championship," I admitted. "And, although I like this kind of life, it had its downsides. Being famous means being lonely." I chuckled quietly. "So when I was offered to join the MEKA squad, it was a new start. I actually made friends, people like me, and enjoyed myself with other people. I wasn't stuck to a console all day, I was heading out with people I used to be rivaled with."

"What happened?" He asked softly.

"The Omnic happened. It was the first year pilots had ever faced this thing. We had studied and trained for this but knew it would have some tricks up its sleeves. Still, we thought we'd be the ones to beat it. Using our teamwork and skill." I laughed bitterly. "We were so wrong. I lost my entire squad. The only people besides my parents who I had really cared for, and who really cared for me." I turned on him, suddenly feeling angry. "That's why I started training so hard, that's why I take my battles with that thing as such a challenge, and that's why I can relate to you. So please, please, take it easy already."

"Hana I..." He sighed and hugged me tightly. I yelped, quite surprised, but after a few moments hugged back. "I'll go a little bit easier on myself. For you. And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Thanks." I smiled at him, hugging him tighter.

"Now, how about we go play some Starcraft?"

 **So, funny story. I /forgot/ I had made this chapter, and had to post it.**

 **I remembered it existed, because I already wrote the following chapter, but when I was checking the fic out today I noticed this one wasn't there. /I wrote it and forgot to post/ I'M SORRY.  
Well, now you'll have two chapters in a row. One today and one tomorrow, so enjoy! **

**Don't forget to fav, follow and most importantly REVIEW because your opinion is /always/ valued.**


	13. Chapter 13: Next time, Petite Garcon

"You've given up the training?" Angela asked, spreading cream cheese on her bagel.

"Not really, I just decided I should slow down," I said, yawning afterward. Fareeha handed me a mug of coffee and sat on the opposite end of the sofa.

It was early morning, about nine o'clock, and almost nobody was awake. Fareeha always got up at six, apparently, that was her internal military clock. Angela preferred to get up early too, as she said, "to get the most out of the day" and me? Well, I had stayed up late last night with Hana, playing Starcraft and then just talking (well, I talked and she half talked-half played) but thanks to the energy drinks she insisted on giving me I hadn't gotten too much sleep. The three of us had, by coincidence, ended up here together in the living room. The room was quite big, with a few nice (and comfortable) sofa's and chairs here and there plus other tastefully placed furniture, a big holo TV was placed on the right side of the room and (my personal favorite) an entire wall made of glass stood right in front of me and gave out a view to the ocean, one that almost matched up to Hana's rooftop view.

"Here you go," Angela said with a smile, walking to us and putting two plates with bagels on the coffee table. She left and then returned with her own, sitting next to Fareeha and taking a bite. The doctor was wearing a black turtleneck, jeans and sneakers while Fareeha was wearing a white tank top, jeans and was barefoot. Me? I was wearing a wrinkled t-shirt and shorts.

I noticed Angela was sitting pretty darn close to the soldier, who smiled at her in thanks and grabbed the plate. I raised an eyebrow at the two but they didn't seem to notice.

"So…anything happen while I was in Russia? I've been back for awhile, I know, but I never really talked much with training and all." I asked, watching them carefully. Fareeha simply shook her head, but Angela set her plate down and turned to me, probably having something to share.

"Yes, I do have good news! However, with how busy you've been lately I didn't tell you." She said. Her smile was wider than before. "I managed to find your father."

"You…what?" I asked quietly. Fareeha put a hand under my plate, noticing that it was about to fall, and set it on the table. I suddenly felt nervous, sick even.

"Are you ok?" Angela immediately asked, standing up and getting closer. This was both her motherly worry and her medical instincts kicking in. "I found your father, I haven't contacted him. I thought, perhaps, you'd want to give him a call?"

"I, I mean, yes of course. Thank you." I smiled at her and nodded eagerly. "How'd you find him?"

"He's in the militaries database," Fareeha explained, putting my plate down. "The American one of course. It was a simple matter of contacted a friend of mine in the Helix Security and asking him for a favor."

"I,um…I already know my dad's number by heart." I admitted quietly. "You didn't have to go through the trouble."

"You already had it? Then why haven't you called? He must be worried sick, or grieving! The poor man." The doctor sat next to me, putting her own breakfast down. "Why haven't you contacted him?"

"I just, I have my reasons ok? Can we not talk about this?" I pleaded, taking a sip of my coffee. Too late, I remembered I hate coffee and nearly spit it out. In the end, I managed to swallow it without looking like an idiot, and the other two agreed to not bring up this subject anymore. The three of us continued to eat our breakfast in peace.

That is until the others showed up.

The first one to appear was Reinhardt who, from what he said, had gotten up earlier than all of us for his routine workout. Even after months, I found it a bit odd to see him in regular clothes, the armor-suited him more. He was wearing sweatpants and a red buttoned down shirt. He sat on a chair by the left wall and turned on the TV, switching through various German documentary channels until he found one of the Omnic Crisis. The next one to appear was Lena, wearing shorts and a t-shirt (with a hole cut in it for her chronal accelerator). She also seemed odd without her lenses on. The moment she saw us she dashed out of the room, smiling widely.

"Uh, what?" I asked.

"Smile," Angela said, looking in front of us and smiling nicely. Fareeha and I looked at each other confused, but on cue Lena suddenly appeared and a light flashed. I blinked my eyes a couple times to see she was holding a camera, those old ones that printed the picture on the spot, and was handing the picture for Angela to see. The doctor handed it to me. "A present. For a life with Overwatch."

"Y'know I liked the super pistol a lot more." I joked, looking at the image. Angela was smiling and looking beautiful as ever, but Fareeha came out looking suspicious and I looked a bit angry. I chuckled and carefully put it in my pocket.

Slowly, one by one, the others started coming in. Most in their pajamas. Winston was eating peanut butter by the window as he talked to Torbjorn, Lena was sitting on my other side and playing some game on her phone, Mei and Hana were talking about something. I think it was about Mei's travels? Apparently, Hana didn't get to do much sight-seeing when she traveled, so she liked to ask Mei of the world. Genji, the last one in, sat on the floor a few feet away from all of us meditating. Zarya had joined us too, already turning into a good friend with many of the members. Since the war of her country was over, she definitely seemed more relaxed and easy going.

And it was nice. All of it. No shooting, or training, or worry or anything bad. Just us talking, hanging out, doing whatever. Like an actual family or group of friends would do. I sighed contently and leaned against Angela sleepily. She giggled and held me close to her, one hand gently going through my hair. I was more tired than I had let on, even to myself. The coffee had done nothing to help.

"Go ahead, get some rest," Angela whispered to me. "Nothing is happening. I have you."

"Sure." I yawned. "Thanks, mom."

/

I could feel my face burning. Absolutely burning, yet I couldn't hide the wide smile on my it. I kissed Alessandro on the forehead and looked up at the rest, who seemed either happy, confused or both. They had been watching us with hidden smiles (minus Lena who had been taken a few pictures) when he said that, and so they all heard. He was oblivious to it all, sound asleep in my arms.

"Well, looks like Angela has a son," Fareeha said, attempting to break the ice. I shook my head although I couldn't help but chuckle.

"He is simply tired, Fareeha. I bet he'll be embarrassed and apologetic when he wakes." I answered.

"Well, I don't think you'd be a bad mother anyway." Lena chirped, taking one last picture before blinking behind me. "Besides, you seemed to like the idea." She joked, grinning at me. Ok, maybe I had enjoyed the idea and gotten just a bit carried away, but it wasn't like I was suddenly adopting the boy. He had his own parent and had spent years with a real mother.

"Honestly, is this that big a deal? You can stop staring at us now." I said, feeling quite uncomfortable. Winston laughed heartily and shook his head a bit.

"I don't know about the rest, but I was watching because it's nice to see." He said honestly. "Brings back some old memories. When was the last time we saw this?"

"Hm, it had to be with Faree-whatever you call it," McCree said, smiling at Fareeha. Him getting her name wrong had been a joke they had since she was little, and years apart hadn't let him forget it. "She was younger than him, curled up on Angela's lap one night when the two had stayed up late."

"Indeed, we have the picture of them in the conference room," Genji mentioned. I turned and couldn't help but laugh as I saw the poor Egyptian's face, which was bright red.

"Ah yes!" Reinhardt exclaimed, speaking only a fraction quieter than when he was on the battlefield. "Angela always had a way with those younger than her. If I remember correctly Fareeha was nearly always trying to be her assistant!" At this the rest started laughing, most happy with the memory and a few (like Hana) contently imagining it. It had been so long since this family was together; it was such a nice thing to see.

"And she was an excellent assistant," I said, smiling at her and causing her blush to grow. She looked so cute when she was flustered, although she was trying to keep her rigid composure. "If she would join me more often in the lab maybe she could continue to help me."

"With biology tests," Hana said quietly, yet loud enough for the others to hear. I felt my face burning almost immediately, and Fareeha had one hand on her face and was shaking her head slowly. The others looked at both of us, then back at each other, then both of us again, and began to laugh their heads off. Even Genji was heard, although Reinhardt could've made them all deaf with his booming voice.

"Oh lord," McCree muttered, wiping a single tear from his eye. "Y'know, maybe she's right. We'll need someone to keep and eye on those two. They've been acting pretty darn touchy lately."

"Oh please," I hissed, glaring at the cowboy. He raised his hands in surrender, but he and Genji shared a look before laughing again.

"McCree, I promise I will knock your teeth in if you don't shut up." Fareeha threatened, grinning at the cowboy as she squared up. He noticeably glanced at her muscled arms, much more muscled than his own, and took a step back.

"Ok ok! You soldiers can't take a joke, can you? I remember one time-"

McCree suddenly launched into a story of the old days, when he had just joined the group and nearly everyone had a military background and were like Fareeha, at first. He kept going back to how he was telling Jack and Reyes a joke, and they both tried to chase him around the base to beat him. Ah, how I yearned for those days. I missed them all so much, Jack, Gabriel, and others. Amelie, Ana, Gerard. But even if they were gone…

New people entered our lives. I thought with a smile, looking at Fareeha, and then at the boy. Despite the ruckus he was snoring lightly, looking so much more peaceful than I had seen the last few days. What was going on in his mind, I wondered. He changed moods so fast, although he always turned back into the friendly, nice boy who liked to spend time with everyone.

"Angela? Angela, would you please stop staring at him and hear us?" Winston asked loudly. I heard the flash of Lena's camera and looked up, noticing that everyone was watching us once again.

"Sorry, what?" I asked. Hana snickered and whispered something to Mei, they both shared a laugh.

"I was asking if you were going somewhere today, I think I remember you telling us you had to some business." The scientist said.

"Yes, I need to return to the hospital. They need my help with a few things, it shouldn't take too long." I answered. Again, I felt grateful that Winston had chosen to position us here in Switzerland. Besides being my homeland it housed one of the best hospitals in the world, where I had worked for years, and if an emergency there ever happened I could take a car and make it there quickly.

"I was about to offer to go, but seeing as you and those two are close maybe I shouldn't bother." Lena joked, blinked next to Fareeha. "Take care of her, ok? We only got one doctor."

And just like that, it seemed decided. The rest continued talking amongst themselves, and Fareeha didn't complain about it. I guess I'd have these two with me in the hospital, have them see my work area. It would be good to get out, we had all been cooped up a bit too long since we were hiding from Talon.

/

"Ugh, finally! I missed the feeling of a breeze on my face!" Alessandro said loudly, getting out of the car and stretching his back. It made an audible series of cracks before he sighed contently and closed the door of the black sedan. I walked out and closed my own door, and Angela did the same, locking hers as well.

"Please, I've seen you leave the base for walks plenty of times. And it's not like the base itself is so small and suffocating." The doctor chided, pulling her wool coat tighter over herself. I shivered and did the same with mine.

"Alessandro, you are going to freeze like that," I said, offering him his own coat which I had taken out of the car for him. He snorted and let himself fall on the snow-covered sidewalk, which had so much snow he didn't hit the cement.

"I haven't been out in the snow in AGES so please Fareeha, let me freeze." He said. He must be crazy, wearing jeans, snow boots and a hoodie which were getting soaked in the snow. I shook my head disapprovingly and grabbed his wrist, pulling him up easily.

"You seem to be in good spirits. Sleep well, did you?" Angela asked, indicating we follow her. It had been quite a few hours since we had all been in the living room, and he had slept like a mummy the entire time, but now he seemed awake as ever.

"Yeah, maybe tonight I'll be able to outlast Hana." He smirked, putting his hands behind his head. "Where are we going, again? He jogged next to the doctor, looking up at her.

"My job, they need me to take care of a few things. Lena had volunteered to go, but in the end, everyone insisted you two join me." Angela replied. Alessandro frowned, turning his gaze to me.

"Why'd they insist I go with you? I mean I get Fareeha, she's been a bit…close to you, lately." He spoke cautiously as if worried he'd mess up somehow. I simply smiled and nodded in agreement. "But I'm not exactly the kind of guy who enjoys visits to the hospital, even if this one is super good at saving people."

"They insisted because you've been awfully close to the doctor lately," I said, smirking as his ears turned pink. "Or should I say, your mother?" His face turned completely red and I laughed out loud now. He may not have noticed what he said earlier, but obviously, he felt that way. Angela glared at me, although a smile tugged at her own lips. I turned to the sun, frowning worriedly. "We should hurry, the sun will be down soon.

"Yeah, plus maybe laying on the snow wasn't the best idea I've ever had," Alessandro muttered, rubbing his arms. "Let's find a place with heat."

Angela had parked the car a few blocks away from the hospital itself, saying that you could never park too close to it. But as soon as we turned a corner it became obvious which building the hospital was. A huge, modern looking building made of steel and glass, sporting colors of blue and green, probably in an attempt to look more joyful. Unlike most hospitals, which were a few floors tall and very wide, this one was a skyscraper and not very wide. I had also heard the installations stretch very deep underground. Doctors and patients alike came from all over the world to work here or be treated her. No wonder Angela, the best doctor in the world, would be working here. When we arrived I was surprised to see arm guards at the door, and it wasn't the normal guards with handguns or tasers, no, it was fully armored men with machine guns in their hands, ready to jump into action. They were friendlier than actual soldiers, though, and the doctor exchanged a few friendly words with one of them before leading us inside.

"Woah." Alessandro murmured. I understood why the place was most impressive. Unlike the outside, which looked modern, sophisticated yet nice, the inside was plain. The walls, roof, and floors were all white, and the furniture that might be around, doors, chairs, desks and so were all black. But the impressive part obviously wasn't that, it was the amount of activity that could be found by merely walking in. Doctors, patients, and guards walked quickly here and there, in a sea of people that seemed impossible to pass. Yet nobody bumped into each other, nobody complained, they were all fast and efficient. A waiting room laid to our right, and an attendant behind a desk was on our left. Angela simply gave the young woman behind the desk a nod and began walking forward, into a small hallway. Alessandro followed and I went behind him. Most hospitals I had been to (which were quite a few, my men had been injured plenty of times and I had always insisted on checking on them) reeked of medicine, cleaning products and sometimes even blood, but this hospital had none of that, and in every room I managed to see doctors were discussing with patients. Nothing serious was happening, which I found odd.

"The critically ill, or wounded, are in the lower levels, hidden from everyone else," Angela explained, no doubt sensing our confusion. It made sense, I suppose. "Recovery is held at the highest levels, and in between are everyone else."

"Must be…hard, working here." Alessandro offered.

"That's one way to put it," Angela said, her voice a bit harder. Alessandro and I shared a look, but we knew what had just happened. The change was so fast, it was hard to notice it, but we both knew we were no longer looking at the Angela from the base, who smiled for pictures and laughed at jokes, we were looking at Mercy, the doctor. Serious and ready for work, even if she wouldn't be attending any patients today.

"So, where are we going exactly?" Alessandro asked, constantly looking around. He had a certain look on his face, like when we sparred and he wanted a challenge. With a start, I noticed wanted to help the doctors, he wanted to go attend some patients. All those medical lessons with Angela must have had an effect on him, made him think a bit more like a medic.

"My office, it is on the top floor. That is the only floor reserved for employees, some of the best doctors." Angela answered, stopping in front of an elevator and pressing a button. Within a matter of seconds it opened up and a pair of nurses rushed out with a patient and a stretcher. It was all I could do not to get in their way! They must be taking him to the lower levels; I could see blood soaking his shirt. Angela didn't even glance in his direction, pulling us into the elevator and jamming her finger into the highest button, the one that said 100.

"How do you not rush to every patient you find, Angela?" Alessandro asked seriously. "It surprises me you haven't run off to care for someone, knowing you."

"I wish I could, I truly do, but there is something every doctor notices. There are too many patients, and too few of us, even in a place like this. We will accomplish less if we try to help everyone at once, so we focus on what we're told to and have faith in our colleagues. I wanted to run to that man on the stretcher just now, but I know it'd do no good. They can care for him, I'm sure."

"Must be difficult." I offered. She gave a nod and the three of kept silent as the elevator went up. I felt a weird sensation in my stomach, and suddenly the elevator sped up and my ears popped. Alessandro muttered a complaint and rubbed his ears.

"Guess these things would have to really fast in a tall building, doctors need to hurry and all. " He muttered as the door opened and we walked out. It didn't take long to arrive at her office and when we arrived I couldn't help but feel…disappointed.

"Welcome, to where I spend most of my life." Angela murmured, mostly to herself than us.

"This is it?" Alessandro asked. "I expected something more…big. Maybe a bit more flashy too."

I understood why he thought that. The room itself was the size of my bedroom, which wasn't bad but surely not what I expected the best doctor in the world to have. Just like the rest of the building, the walls, roof, and floor were white. A desk sat in one of the corners which a computer and several cabinets next to it, a rug was placed on the floor, a few chairs were placed here and there along with potted plants, and the opposite wall was filled with pictures, and boards that had plenty of papers. A quick glance showed they were names of patients and their needs. Dozens of them, along with their prescriptions and dates to see them. I turned to Angela with awe, then back to the board. Had could she keep track of all these people and their needs? How could she manage?

"I don't believe in having a splendid office, the room could be used to house more patients or more doctors." She answered seriously, sitting at her desk and quickly typing. It was obvious to both me and the boy that we wouldn't be talking to her for a bit. She was already lost in her work.

"Glad I didn't choose to be a doctor." He muttered, walking next to me. "It's great, but the stress this must give…" He whistled appreciatively as he read the papers on the boards. "I wouldn't be able to, I'd crack."

"You truly believe that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't one to admit being beaten, not so easily or so simply. But he gave me an earnest nod and turned to watch Angela.

"Having all those lives depending one me, and having so many different problems to deal with, and the time it would take to help them would be too much. Sure, in a fight the same weight is on me. I felt it at Russia, but at least then things are fast-paced, it's a moment of quick decisions and adrenaline. Plus, I'm sure there are moments here when patients just…you know…do not make it. And I wouldn't be able to take that. It'd be worse than trying and failing, I'd sit by useless."

"I understand," I said, giving him a nod. He smiled dryly and walked behind Angela, watching whatever was on her screen.

Did I understand? I have lost people, and I have been in plenty of battles with my own men and people I cared for, but I had never felt useless. I always had the chance to help, and I always did my best. Honestly, I had never truly failed a mission, which was the reason Helix Security International had been so eager to hire me once I left the military. I had felt the pain of losing people, I have felt that kind of stress, knowing that countless lives depending on you…but I had never felt useless, or helpless. And he had, could I ever understand that feeling? That pain? I hope I never had to.

Suddenly a doctor busted through the door, panting and giving us all quite a scare. He took a few moments to breathe before looking up, he seemed extremely worried.

"Doctor Ziegler, we need you. Now." He said.

/

Without hesitation, I grabbed my lab coat and stood up, following the other doctor at a quick pace. His name was Peter Branwen, and if he was calling for me when I hadn't even bothered to notify the doctors I was available then the situation must be bad. I grimaced, wondering what it could be. Peter was an excellent doctor, and I often had him aid me with tricky surgeries and he was more than capable of solving problems by himself.

So why would he need me?

The four of us entered the elevator without saying a word and Peter pressed the button for the twenty-third floor.

"A man entered five minutes ago, his wife had to drag him in. We've never seen anything like this. Nobody knows where to even start." Peter said, sounding nervous yet resolved. "We were going to move him to intense care, but moving him seems too risky. He's in room A50, his family is with him."

"What members?" I asked.

"Wife, two daughters and a brother."

"I want the daughters taken out, but I want the brother and wife to stay. Maybe they can tell us something useful." I said, or rather, I ordered. Peter gave his assent as the door opened and we rushed out, heading towards A50. To my surprise, when we made it to the doorway Alessandro was the first to react. I heard him breathe in suddenly, very surprised, and he ran forward pushing nurses out of the way. A guard surged forward but I put a hand in front of him, making him stop. The patient, a young man with black hair and tan skin, was on a stretcher coughing, and coughing, and coughing, and it didn't seem like he would stop. He was obviously in great pain, yet he moved without a problem. None of this was what surprised or worried me. It was his skin. I had noticed it was tan at first, but when I looked his face he was purple. And he wasn't suffocating, I could see hi breathing perfectly despite the coughing.

"How long ago did this happen?" Alessandro asked the wife, a pretty lady standing up his side and gripping his hand. She glanced at me, probably expecting me to take control, but Alessandro forced her to look at him. "How. Long."

"Uh, i-it happened fifteen minutes ago? We were walking down the street to visit his mother, who is sick, and suddenly he collapsed and turned purple, coughing like crazy." The lady answered in English with a thick accent.

"Did you see anyone strange, or different around? To be precise, a woman. Tall, purple skin." He asked. I narrowed my eyes at him. He couldn't mean her, why would he believe she, of all people, was lurking about.

"Y-yes, she walked right by us. Bumped into him, they shared a few words in French and she left. A few minutes after he started…" She went silent, realization creeping onto her face.

"Yeah, she poisoned him." He muttered, putting a pair of fingers on his neck as if he were checking the man's pulse. "Ok, he'll live. He could use some painkillers, or maybe be knocked out, but he'll just have to wait it out."

"How do you know this?" Fareeha asked.

"You, sir, did she say anything?" Alessandro asked the man, ignoring Fareeha. "Focus, please, what did she say?"

"She…she…" He said, erupting into another fit of coughs before he could finish.

'Alessandro, he is no shape to talk." I scolded.

"He has to, we have no other choice," Alessandro replied, grabbing the poor man's shoulders. "What did she say?"

"F-f-found you." He muttered weakly.

/

"We need to go, now!" I ordered, letting the doctors close in on the poor guy. I grabbed Fareeha's and Angela's hands, pulling them back to the elevator with me and hitting the button to ground level.

"Alessandro, what is going on?" Fareeha asked seriously.

"It's her, it's freaking her. We are not ready, this is really really bad." I murmured to myself, taking out my phone and putting in Winston's number. I pressed the green "call" icon and after a few rings he picked up.

"Hello, how's everything there?" He asked calmly. It sounded like he was tinkering with something.

"Winston, they found us. Get everyone armed and evacuated now, we'll be there as soon as we can. No time to talk, just hurry up and keep an eye out." I said quickly, hanging up as the elevator dinged and the door opened. I put my phone away and began walking to the main entrance, then thought better of it and turned to the doctor.

"Is there a side entrance here?" I asked. She nodded and pointed down the hallway to my left.

"Again, what is going on?" Fareeha asked, grabbing my arm and forcing me to face her.

"Talon, Talon's here. We need to move." I answered. "That man was poisoned, I know that poison. I got hit with it. Only one person has that poison. A woman who speaks French."

"Oh no," Angela muttered, her eyes widening with the realization. "We must hurry."

"Will somebody explain to me what in Osiris's name is going on?!" Fareeha practically yelled.

"It's Widowmaker, the sniper you saw in Egypt," Angela said. Fareeha seemed surprised at first, then gave a solemn nod.

"Ok, let's go and hope she didn't see our car," I said, jogging down the hallway.

/

And here he had changed yet again. From angry, defeated soldier, to the kind playful boy, to dedicated worried warrior. I would find it strange, but I was the expert on mood changes. Winston could go from nice and kind to berserk, destroying anything in an instant. McCree sometimes jokes and made barbecue then kills men without a second thought, I sometimes was kind and helpful and then turned into the serious and dedicated doctor. Should this really surprise me? Everyone had changes in their mood depending the situation. It shouldn't surprise me. Yet it did, maybe because he presented these changes so fast. He may have been with us for awhile now, but I couldn't help but notice how remarkably strong he'd grown in this amount of time.

"Wait, stop." He hissed as we approached the side door. He pulled out a pistol that he had tucked behind his jeans. Had I known he was carrying I weapon I never would've let him enter, but it was good he thought one step ahead. This pistol was a regular one, one that shot bullets and not pulse munitions. He clicked the safety off and pulled back on it, taking a deep breath as it clicked. "Ok, I'll go out first and walk the opposite direction of the car. Wait five seconds and then quickly, quietly, get there and turn it on. I'll meet you three blocks from here, by that bar we passed."

"What? No! Why?" I asked, looking over my shoulder as we spoke.

"It's a good plan," Fareeha interjected. "He was the weapon and has already fought her. If he goes out alone she will most likely be observing him, if she is even out there. We can sneak back to the car."

"And what if she shoots him?" I asked, glaring at Fareeha so hard I thought the soldier would die from it. I'm surprised that she didn't.

"I'll be fine." He smiled and gave both of them a nod. "Be careful, see you later."

"I should be saying that to you." Angela chided, worry still in her eyes. "Go, and you better be by that bar."

"Gotcha, if you don't find me at the bar then just go back to base. I'll figure out a way to escape and reach you guys." He said, and before either one of us could complain he kicked the door open and ran out. Dashed, actually. We waited for five seconds and heard no gunshots. Was that good or bad?

"Follow me, doctor, and stay close," Fareeha ordered, walking past me and poking her head out. She waved forward and then exited the building. I quickly followed.

We had been there much longer than we thought we had. The sun was mostly gone, and a few stars were already appearing in the sky. It was still bright enough to see around, though, and I could see Alessandro a bit away walking against the buildings, his gun held in both hands and aimed high. Fareeha grabbed my hand and began half jogging-half walking in direction of the car. After half a block we ended up springing for the vehicle. No bullets came from the rooftops to meet us, no canisters of poison were hidden at the corners to hurt us, and no Widowmaker swung from the darkness to challenge us. We arrived at the car in a couple minutes, and I was forced to lean against it, panting, although Fareeha didn't even seem slightly winded. I proceeded to unlock the car doors and going in the driver's seat.

"Put your seatbelt on," I ordered. Fareeha did so without hesitation and I immediately hit the gas, racing away. I took a right, and then another, this would hopefully lead us back to the hospital and near the bar.

"What can you tell me of this Widowmaker?" Fareeha asked, searching the compartments for anything of use. "Can we beat her somehow, right now, unarmed?"

"No, that would nearly impossible if not completely. Even with weapons, she is someone you do not want to fight. Lena fought her several times and has had quite a few close calls. Even with Winston's help she escaped. She is a sniper, perhaps the best sniper."

"The best?" The Egyptian asked, and I knew she was thinking of her mother. Suddenly it occurred to me that she didn't know. She didn't know this woman, Widowmaker, was her mother's murderer. I decided not to tell her, for now. If I did then I didn't know what would happen, it seemed unlikely she'd let her feelings get the best of her like Alessandro did after Russia, but I couldn't be sure.

I frowned, hearing a strange rattle far away. Fareeha's eyes widened and she put a hand behind my hide, pushing me downwards and doing the same. Almost immediately bullets broke the back and front windows, showering glass on both of us. I tried to keep as straight on the road as possible and thank god it was late enough that this small street didn't have many cars. I forced my head up a bit and turned a sharp right, barely avoiding the building that we had nearly crashed into. A quick glanced in the review mirror showed flashes, and I made another quick turn, hearing bullets pinging against the street behind us.

"Is that a helicopter?!" I yelled.

"No, it's perfectly silent. Just go to the bar, if we lead it to the base someone will shoot it down." The soldier yelled. 'Do you have any weapons in this car?!"

"No, I'm a pacifist!" I yelled back, feeling a bit offended despite the situation.

"How can you be a pacifist and yet go to war?!" Fareeha asked incredulously, looking behind us for any sign of our pursuers.

"I save lives; I try not to run around shooting people," I replied. We were almost there. Only a few more seconds, the bar was in my view. But suddenly a heard a gunshot ring out, clearer than the machine guns which had been firing previously. It was the sound of a rifle. The car shuddered and began shifting around despite where I turned on the wheel, I clenched my teeth trying to regain control but as I hit the breaks we flipped on our sides, skidding towards the building. I could hear Fareeha cursing in Egyptian as we tumbled around, and some small part of my mind was thankful to the man who invented seatbelts. When the car finally stopped moving I groaned, opening my eyes and looking around. My body ached, but nothing seemed very damaged. A quick check on Fareeha and she seemed just as fine. The next thing I noticed was that we were upside down.

"We need to get out," I muttered, reaching for the door.

"No, she'll see us," Fareeha answered quickly, stopping me. "That was the sound of a rifle, I'm sure. Here crosshairs are on this car."

"Then what do we do?" I hissed, looking around for my pistol. I had kept it somewhere in here, but now everything was a mess. Fareeha calmly took out her phone (so practical) and dialed a number.

"Can you see us? Yes, she shot one of our wheels, I think. We can't get out until we're sure she's looking away. Yes, very well." She put her phone away and unbuckled her belt, falling to the roof. She rolled over and helped me down. I spotted my gun hanging on a piece of metal that had nearly stabbed me and handed it to Fareeha. So much for having no weapons, but i had forgotten it was even here.

"This will do better in your hands than mine," I whispered. "Pharah."

"Understood, don't worry Mercy, we'll be out of this soon."

"I just wished I had my staff."

"COME ON YOU FUCKING SPIDER I WANT ROUND TWO. COME AT ME YOU COW-" A voice, Alessandro's voice, suddenly yelled near us. I immediately heard the rifle fire and him curse, returning fire. I could hear his light footsteps rush away, every so often pausing or slowing down in what was surely his attempts to throw the sniper off. Fareeha nodded at me and indicated I stay here, then slowly opened the door and walked out. When nobody shot her head off (thank god) she helped me get out. I hadn't asked about the plan, but I preferred to stay silent now. Hopefully, they had already made a plan.

"Through here." She whispered, leading me through an alleyway between two big buildings. I kept an eye above us, not wanting to get ambushed.

"I'M GOING TO FREAKING KILL YOU," Alessandro yelled, somewhere down the street. He hadn't been hit, yet. That didn't make sense. This was Widowmaker, she doesn't simply miss her mark. Something was wrong…

"Pharah," I whispered, but she shushed me and peek out the alleyway.

"Alqaraf." She muttered. "Just hold on another minute."

"What's going on? Is he ok?"

"HA HA MISSED ME AGAIN YOU BLOODY SPIDER. TRACER TOLD ME YOUR AIM SUCKED." He yelled, answering my question. I slowly walked towards the edge, knowing it was foolish to present myself but feeling a bit too worried to care.

Alessandro was hiding behind a wall, in his own alley across the street, a bit ahead of us. He kept yelling insults, and tried to shoot at her, but he was obviously pinned down, stuck between her good aim and a dead end. He glanced in our direction and I could see he looked worried as well. He noticed me watching and indicated I move back. In that moment I heard the rifle, I felt something hit my head and I fell to the ground.

"NO!" It was Alessandro, followed by a series of bullets. I felt Fareeha pulled me away, her strong arms examining my head.

"The bullet grazed you, Mercy. You're lucky." She muttered. In that moment I heard a loud crash next to us and Fareeha left my said.

"Pharah…Widowmaker never misses." I mumbled, feeling completely disoriented. I struggled to focus and saw she was now in her Raptora combat suit. "She wanted that."

"Oh no, Alessandro," Pharah said, her eyes wide as she noticed what had happened. She immediately sprang into the air.

Please be ok. I thought, my eyes following Fareeha.

/

This was too easy. Heroes, or these pitiful excuses for heroes, are always so predictable. Injure one, and the rest come running. I smirked as I saw the doctor, Mercy, fall down out of sight and returned my sights to the boy. He yelled something I couldn't hear from this far, up on one of the several rooftops, and began walking in my direction with both hands on his pistols, firing at me.

Too easy. I thought. Much too easy. There were three heroes, killing him now wouldn't be worth it. But if I could get the rest…

I frowned as a pair of his bullets passed a bit too close to my head. He had very good aim. I focused my crosshairs on his shoulder and fired. Much to my surprise, he dodged it, sidestepping and reloading as if it were the easiest thing to do and returning fire. I hissed and fired again but he had already moved behind a garbage can, popping back out as the bullet whizzed by him. I never miss. It was impossible. He was moving before the bullet was even fired, but how could he know where I was shooting? How could he anticipate such a thing? A growl left my lips and a stood up in plain view, aiming at the right side of his chest. I fired, and then fired again to his right without letting my gun charge. As I thought, he sidestepped the first bullet and the second hit him cleanly in the right shoulder, knocking him down. Much to my surprise he sat up and continued firing, rage visible in his eyes. Where had I seen that before?

"Ah, I see, petite garcon," I whispered. He was at the town Talon had attacked, the woman I killed was obviously dear to him, probably his mother, and he had three girls with her as well. He was acting on pure rage, but unlike last time when I had made him rash and reckless, this time, he was determined and coordinated.

Emotions could be strong, at times. This had proved it. But the lack of emotions, the lack of distractions and what is mostly weakness, was even stronger. His anger had saved him from three bullets, a near impossible feat, but I had seen it before. With that foolish girl, Tracer, she had done this although it had been easier with her device.

"Come out come out wherever you are," I whispered, looking around for the other two. He was on his feet, and tried to approach but I simply shot his leg, and he fell back down. He mustn't have any more ammunition because he dropped the gun and tried to drag himself away, much too slowly. I could've shot him more than once now.

"Put your hands where I can see them." A rigid, commanding voice said behind me. I didn't even tense, keeping my sights on the child.

"Pharah, was it? Did you leave the poor doctor all alone? Who knows what might find her." I cooed. "And the boy, just dragging himself away in pain. He will bleed out if you don't help him." I admit, I was surprised by the soldier's ambush. I had never met an Overwatch agent willing to risk her comrades just to win. She must be more understanding of dangers, know that some things must be done, or have a ridiculously large trust for her teammates.

"I will not repeat myself. Drop your weapon, and turn around." She ordered. I slowly stood up, my gun still ready to fire, and then took a step forward off of the building.

"Alessandro MOVE!" Pharah yelled. I heard the explosion of a rocket where I had been moments ago, but I was already a quarter way down the building. I refocused my sights on the boy and saw he was propped on his elbows, looking at me. Time seemed to slow down, I was smiling. Now he wore the expression I had learned to enjoy. Fear.

Adieu. I thought, pulling the trigger-

A moment too late, I pair of hands had already grabbed him and dragged him behind cover. That wretched doctor. I quickly grappled to another building and zipped upwards, landing and running off without a second thought, not wanting to get blown to bits by that Egyptians weapon.

He is lucky, so very lucky. But he cannot kill me, and one day he will not have friends with him. He will be all alone. And in that moment, I will finish what I started. I will kill him.

 _ **Holy shit guys.**_

 **Why is the shit holy today, you may ask? Well I'm very happy. But why? Does it have to do with the fact we passed the 10k mark of readers? YES. Does it have to do with the fact that somebody added me to a community on this page? YES. Does it have to do with the fact that we're nearly 100 followers? YES.**

 **Thank you guys so much, especially those of you who review (Looking at you, Brutus, you've reviewed every single chapter, and if not, most chapters.) so thank you guys so much for the support! This, to me, is a lot and I couldn't be happier.**


	14. Chapter 14: Date In Brazil

"Excited about Brazil?" I asked, rubbing my shoulder. It felt fine, and I was glad when nobody gave me a hard time about it. Apparently getting shot by Widowmaker was pretty normal, and nothing to worry about with Angela helping us. Tracer had laughed about it, telling me of the time Widowmaker shot her in the-

 _Anyway_ , after we relocated from Switzerland (I'm still proud about tricking and almost nailing Widowmaker along with Pharah, even if I got shot) we had the meeting of speeding up the recruitment process. Hana insisted on coming here, going so far as to challenge Winston to a fight for it, and had chosen me as her partner. There was some reluctance, but they seemed to trust my skills more and after I proved I could communicate in Portuguese better than the rest they couldn't really refuse. As if reading my mind, Hana spoke up.

"So you can speak Portuguese?" She asked, looking out the window of our plane. So far there were only clouds, but the pilots had announced to us that we would be landing soon. I sighed, shaking my head.

"I've told you five times, I'm not fluent in Portuguese, I speak Spanish. But when I lived in Uruguay we had to study Portuguese and my Spanish helps me understand more as well. If anything I'm intermediate."

"So you're and American Urugay or something like that?" She smiled teasingly at me.

"American and Uruguayan, Hana. I know you failed geography but are you that dumb?"

"Hey, I didn't fail!" She protested, to which I laughed. My eyes focused on the window and I smiled widely.

"Welcome to Rio de Janeiro, _a capitao du Brasil_."

Our plane had just broken through the clouds, and the view was incredible. I had heard of this place's beauty and had seen pictures from family members and friends that came here, but it didn't compare to the real thing. A beautiful beach stretched out as far as I could see with the sun shining down on it, the crystal clear water seemed to sparkle, and beyond the beach was a majestic city. I could see a few buildings glowing with the colors of the Brazilian flag.

"It's amazing." Hana murmured. I nodded in agreement.

" _Muita bonita_ ," I said. Hana turned to me with an amused smirk, and I realized I had spoken Portuguese. "Uh, _muy hermo_ \- No, I mean, very beautiful."

She laughed as a confused my languages and I couldn't help but smile again. She had such a nice laugh.

Anyway, I'll skip some of the less important details. We had landed smoothly and been directed inside the large airport, where we then lined up to find out luggage (which consisted of one suitcase for me, and three for Hana. Go figure) and then we made our way outside, where we quickly found a taxi and asked to be taken to the hotel Winston had booked us. The entire time we were gawking at the city, this thing and that, and Hana made me promise we'd take a walk through here later. When we arrived there was a small wait and then we were guided to our hotel room.

Ok, room isn't the right word. Winston had booked us _an entire floor_ filled with furniture more expensive than my old house, a couple fridges stocked with food and treats (I may or may not have taken half the chocolates), a king-sized bed, a pool next to it, and a porch overlooking the city. When I thought of Overwatch missions, I expected something less luxurious, like Russia.

After we had put our belongings in their spots, and I had eaten my chocolates and taken a can of soda, I decided we should get down to business. Lucio's concert would happen in three days at _Fundição do Progresso._ We had V.I.P tickets so we could get backstage. But how exactly would we speak to Lucio and get him to join us? I was on the sofa thinking about this and was turning around to talk to Hana when I felt a pair of arms go around my waist. I would've blushed, had the hands not pulled me into the pool. My lungs filled with water and I swam up, coughing as I tried to breathe. Once I could breathe I heard someone laughing next to me, and turned to glare at Hana.

"Hey, I didn't mean to drown you!" She said with a giggle, raising her hands in surrender. "Plus, you looked too serious. You should be enjoying this."

I was about to yell at her, but my words died in my mouth as she stood up, raising her hands as she stretched and quite literally showed off her slender body which was only covered by a pink bikini. She sunk back into the water and raised an eye at me, although her smile was playful.

"Did you lose something over here?" She purred, making me blush, I opened my mouth to speak but she laughed and swam over to me, putting an arm around my shoulder. "Will you relax?"

"Hana we have a lot to do, I don't think we should be swimming around," I answered, although really I was starting to have second thoughts about that. I swim would be nice as long as she was here.

"We have our plan, we can talk about it a bit later, for now just enjoy." She answered, her second arm going around me as she faced me. I could feel my face burning and she leaned in to whisper something. "Gotcha."

And she pushed me under water.

I burst up again, glaring at her, and pulled off my shirt. The pool was bigger than I thought, extending over half the porch (which had a glass bottom, giving us a view how high up we are) and Hana had already made it there in a second. She was fast.

/

 **Dva's POV**

"Aw! Come back!" I pouted as he climbed out of the pool and walked out of sight.

What an idiot, I was just trying to have fun! And maybe get his attention for a bit…

I had definitely noticed the way he looked at me, as I knew he would, but did he seriously get that mad about me pulling him in? I sighed, shaking my head. It'd be hard to get close to him if he had some weird problem every two days. But I wasn't just going to leave him, and so I swam back to the inside, about to get out.

"Nerf this!" Alessandro yelled, suddenly running out of the room in blue swimming trunks. I yelled as he jumped over me, doing a cannonball and then surfacing. He wiped his face and turned to me with a huge smile. "God this is great."

I smiled widely. Maybe he wasn't an idiot.

"You lose something here?" He asked, in a very bad copy of my voice. I frowned and splashed at his face. He laughed and returned fire, and before I knew it the two of us were swimming around, taking turns trying to catch each other and splashing.

I laughed as, for the tenth time, I caught up with him. He was too slow for me! I grabbed his shoulders and pulled him underneath again, seeing the bubbles rise up as he laughed underwater. He suddenly grabbed my shoulders and pulled me under with him, his arms wrapping around me and holding me close so I couldn't escape. A few moments we surfaced, laughing loudly and panting. God, it had been years since I had this much fun with someone else. I was about to pull away, but he leaned against the wall and didn't let go. He looked so… at peace. I don't think I had ever seen him so calm, or happy, and I didn't want to ruin that. So I laid my head on his shoulder, cuddling up to him.

"You're amazing, you know?" He said. I blinked, feeling my face flush at the unexpected compliment.

"Why do you think that?" I asked quietly.

"You just…click with me. The first day I was up and running, you had me gaming with you, after that it turned into a ritual. I go to you when I want to rest, when I just want a friend, I know I can tell you anything and…I don't know, you've just been the best friend I've ever had." My face was definitely red now, but he didn't seem to notice or care. "You and the others really saved me. Even after the town, I had problems. If it wasn't for Tracer I wouldn't have gotten over my PTSD, Angela…she's a mother to me. Don't tell her I said that."

I smirked. He still didn't know that he called her "mom" when he passed out.

"The others turned into friends, cared for me, helped me move forward, and they trained me along with you. But you..."

I perked up, still in his embrace, and smiled. "Yes? What about me?"

"Well…you…I…" He looked away, clearly flustered. I wrapped my arms around his neck, gently making him look at me.

It was perfect. His hands shifted to my waist, and we both began closing the gap slowly. I could feel my own heart pounding in my chest. But that wasn't the only thing pounding. Alessandro immediately turned to look at the door, thanks to somebody knocking harshly on it. I nearly groaned as the moment was ruined but managed to keep my shut and swim away.

" _Quem é_?" He asked, climbing out of the pool.

I sighed and swam to the other side, the side with the glass floor that showed the ground fifty floors below, and leaned on the edge overlooking the city. The sun was setting now and giving the entire place a beautiful glow. I had been so close, _so close_ , and room service just had to come and ruin everything. I sighed again, glancing in his direction. He was dripping onto the floor, and still shirtless, but neither him or the middle-aged woman speaking to him seemed to care. Did South Americans go shirtless a lot?

Not that I minded, he was in great shape, and was pretty cute…ok, he was _hot_.

After a few more exchanges, where he obviously struggled to understand what the woman was saying, she pushed a cart into the room, gave me a kind smile and then walked out.

" _Obrigado_!" He called out, closing the door and pushing the cart onto the porch. "She brought dinner and man does this look good." I was about to climb out when he ordered me to stop, carefully sliding in and tapping the sides for something. I frowned, wondering what he was doing, but a second later a small, round, silver table rose into the middle of the pool along with two silver stools.

"Ok, that is pretty cool," I said.

"Right?" He answered. A few moments later he had set everything on the table and indicated I join him. I swam towards him, getting less grumpy as I smelled the food, and yelped as he grabbed my waist and carefully lifted me onto the seat. It was high enough so the water was only up to my knees. He climbed onto his chair.

"So what is it?"

"I present to you!" He announced with a wide smile. "The Brazilian specialty made with meat from _my_ country, _Picanha_! It's cow meat. Barbecue. Delicious, I swear, my dad used to make this and Rebecca lived for it. Ruby always took pork though, and Jasmine, ugh, she'd steal my food!"

I laughed, raising an eyebrow at him. "She'd steal, or you'd give it to her?"

"Well, I couldn't not give it to her! She made this cute sad puppy face and whimper, I'd feel bad!" He complained. He sighed, his smile turning sad. "I think that was the last meal we had together, the five of us. My dad was deployed to London afterward to help against the riots and whatnot. Then the attack came months later."

"Have you tried calling him?" I asked quietly. It was surprising how he could be all fun and games and then get so sad by in a moment's notice. But this wasn't like before. He had a sad smile, as if he were sad but still enjoying the memories.

"Not yet, I mean I have to do it at some point. He probably doesn't know about my sisters or me, but they must've told him mom's dead." He answered, and then he tried for a smile and grabbed his fork and knife. "Anyway, enough of that. Eat up!"

I was expected something like Jesse's barbecue, crunchy and hot, filled with juices and quite chewy, although well cooked. But the _Picanha_ was very different and so damn good. It made my mouth water and I devoured it. I even managed to get some of Alessandro's, using the puppy-eyed trick his sister used. I pat my stomach and slouched on the seat, quite full.

"What's to drink, you didn't open the bottle?"

"Uh…"

I looked up to see him reading the bottle's tag…nervously? His eyes met mine and I raised an eyebrow.

"This is called _Caipirinha,_ famous Brazilian drink. Not too strong, I think."

"What's the problem then?" I asked.

"Uh…I've never really had alcohol before." He admitted sheepishly.

"What? But you're, like, eighteen." I said, obviously surprised. I had started drinking (in moderate amounts) when I was sixteen. How come he never drank?

"I turned eighteen after the whole incident; legal age in the US is twenty-one anyway." He answered, shrugging at me. "My parents followed the rules. Mostly my mom."

"Then we're going to have some fun," I replied, rubbing my arms together.

By "fun" I obviously meant I'd get him drunk. I thought he was going to complain about it and back out but much to my surprise he helped me open the bottle and, at my request, brought more from the fridge along with shot glasses. I began filling up the small glasses, and I could see his face grow worried. But he kept quiet as I emptied the last bottle and clapped my hands together.

"Here's the deal, we each take turns drinking. Whoever stops first loses. If you lose…you'll be taking me out tomorrow. All over the city. No complaints."

"Ugh, fine. But if I win?" He crossed his arms, smirking at me.

"Hm…I got it! But I'll only tell you after you win." I answered with a cute smile. He opened his mouth to complain but I quickly shoved a glass against his mouth.

And there it began! We each began taking turns, drinking glass after glass, making small talk and banter as we drunk. He seemed to be taking this lightly but I wouldn't. I _never_ lose, and I wouldn't lose a drinking game against him either. I smiled as he tried to drink another glass and groaned afterward. The drinks tasted really good! So he must've been full or he was starting to get drunk.

"Ready to give up?" I purred. He snorted at me and downed another glass.

"Fat chance, scrub, I'll 360 no-scope you to the face."

"Oh my god this isn't COD," I complained, taking another drink.

"Get on my level!" He cheered, taking another drink. "Fight me ya cheeky scrub!"

I grabbed another glass, but couldn't drink it. I was laughing too much as he continued to yell stupid gaming banter and insults, challenging me to a "one vs. one sniper only in Nuketown" and telling me to "git gud". The drink must've hit me harder than I thought, because as I laughed I fell out of my seat, and I didn't notice until I landed in the water.

"I win!" He cheered, standing on his chair. But he was also wobbly, and I laughed as he crashed down into the water.

/

 **Alessandro's POV**

I swam to the surface, taking a deep breath and turning to see Dva laughing at me, holding her stomach and tearing up. I couldn't help but smile widely at her, watching as she tried to find the glass she had dropped. She was a bit tipsy so it was taking her a bit but she was doing better than me. I couldn't see straight anymore. This _was_ my first time drinking after all.

"Did I win?" I asked, bumping into the table as I tried to swim to Hana.

"Hm, we both dropped out glasses," Hana said innocently.

"But you dropped it first, ya cheeky scrub." I drawled, making her laugh again.

"True, true." She admitted, putting a hand to her chin and looking thoughtful. "But I don't think you'll like the prize."

"If you thought of it I probably won't," I replied. She glared at me and I laughed. "Ok ok, I'll probably love it more than Angela."

"Aren't you sweet." She said, swimming towards me. "Are you sure you want your prize?"

"I will wreck you if you don't stop stalling." I threatened with an even wider smile.

"Ok ok, but I warned you." She answered. Her hands grabbed the sides of my head and she pulled me forward. Her lips brushed mine-

And we both jumped as my communication device suddenly rung loudly, scaring us both. I turned to Hana, sighing, and nodded at the thing.

"Go, Angela will kill me if I don't let you answer." She said, letting go of me and swimming away. I sighed, lazily climbing out the pool.

What could the doctor want?


	15. Chapter 15: Maintenence

"Doctor Zielger, this is unnecessary." Genji protested, halting at the door.

"Genji, we haven't seen each other for years and I haven't given you a proper check-up since you arrived," I argued, putting on my lab coat and entering the examination room. "Neither of us have anything in particular to do, and I think it's high time we did some maintenance."

"I do not need maintenance, doctor," He tried again. "I am perfectly fine."

"Genji, I know you hate that body but it is _mechanical_ whether you like it or not. We must do check-ups." I grabbed a few instruments, bio-regulator, screwdriver, staff, and set them down on a metal table next to the examination bed.

"I do not hate this body, doctor, you did a marvelous job with it," He answered quietly. "I may have not accepted it before but I do now. My eyes are wide open. I know I am not a robot, and therefore this body gives me no reason to despise it." He walked over to the bed and laid down. "You will find nothing wrong with it."

"You've changed…" I mumbled back, one hand going over his mask. "The last time we were together you weren't very fond of this body."

"People can change quite a lot very quickly, doctor," He replied with a chuckle. "I think we all know this."

"Yes…yes I suppose you are right," I said.

After that it was time for work. Both of us remained silent as I began removing the outer plates of armor on him. His mask came off, I removed most of his arms and legs which revealed shredded stumps, his chest was opened to reveal a very intricate machine keeping him alive, filled with tubes, gears and other parts. I bit my tongue, trying to hold back the anger that surged forward every time I did this. Violence was terrible, no matter who resorts to it or for what reason, but for someone to inflict _this_ amount of damage, and on their own brother no less! It was despicable. I may have never met Hanzo, but I hated him with all my heart. No man that did this was a true human, I'd seen more heart in Bastion units from the war than this.

"Angela…" Genji whispered, his green eyes staring right at me. "It is in the past."

"That does not mean it is ok. What he did to you was wrong, disgraceful and unmoral," I scoffed, turning around and looking through my tools. I gently picked up the bio-regulator, a scanner not much bigger than my hand that would identify the few actual organic parts left in Genji and determine how well they were doing.

"You would judge me just as badly had I defeated my brother that day, or worse if I had managed to kill him," The ninja replied. "We were both angry, young and foolish. But we've changed."

"You say that as if you've seen Hanzo, as if you know he's changed," I answered quietly, passing the scanner over what used to be his legs. The machine beeped once to indicate there was no problem, and I moved to his arms and scanned them as well. His veins, muscle, and tissue seemed to be just fine. I frowned as I noticed he had turned uncomfortably silent. That wasn't like him. "Genji…where were you the week we sent the others to Russia?"

"Merely a visit. I had to see someone before our plans here began to advance," He answered calmly.

"You were gone an entire week on a visit? Who did you see?" I questioned, running the bio-regulator over his internal machinery. His liver, one lung and pancreas were still working well. Good. I scanned it over his chest and, much to my delight, his heart seemed to be doing better than last time. "You seem to be doing even better than last time I did a check-up. Perhaps it is because you are less stressed."

"Before I was in turmoil," He agreed. "Now I am in acceptance, I am in harmony with my body. I am at peace with myself."

"You _have_ changed," I decided. "Now where were you? You're lucky nobody else has decided to question you, but I expect you to be honest with me."

"I…I went to see Hanzo." He admitted.

"What?!" I yelled, nearly dropping the bio-regulator into his chest. "Why would you do that?!"

"We need more abled fighters, Angela," Genji said. "Hanzo is skilled, he has survived countless battles, Overwatch, assassins and even defeated me. We need him."

"We are not going to accept a criminal here." I answered firmly, putting down the gadget and grabbing the screwdriver. This next part would require more work, and a lot of delicacy. "Please refrain from speaking, I must focus."

"Doctor, I will explain later. But Hanzo has changed in some ways. He will be a fine addition to our group," He insisted.

I ignored him and got to work. I wasn't very surprised that I still remembered how to do this so well. I had created his body, after all, and knew him better than he knew himself now. Besides, I had done several check-ups like this one back when Overwatch was running. I carefully unscrewed the cover for his heart, which was incased in small silver box that glowed green. The scanner said it was fine, but the inner-workings would need manual adjustments after so long and I'm sure most of his systems could use a little cleaning. I popped off the cover and put it gently on the table, observing the heart. It was maybe my greatest breakthrough, and perhaps my greatest regret. I had fused his heart with regenerative molecules, this is what kept it beating despite the severe damage to the organ. It had taken me weeks to invent this and get it to work, before this Genji had nearly always been in a delicate state. My only regret is that this never managed to get funded, it never spread across the world. It could've saved thousands of people, but once Overwatch fell my work was looked down on. Nobody would fund me or my ideas, which was quite foolish seeing that I am the best doctor in the world.

"Angela, you are thinking of the past again," Genji whispered. I pursed my lips and got back to work, grabbing a brush no bigger than my pinky and beginning. I began brushing the green tubes going into his heart delicately, the box as well, and then moved to the gears outside of it. Everything was in remarkable shape, I had designed it to be lasting, but it never hurts to clean. I grabbed another tool and removed one of the tubing's. Genji gasped, but I knew he'd be fine. Once I had cleaned it I set it back in. My eyes drifted downwards and I frowned.

"Oh my…" I muttered.

"What is the matter?" He asked.

"We…might have a problem." I admitted. "Your lung capacitor seems to be cracked. Did you get hit by a truck recently?"

"Pardon me?"

"I designed it to resist the force of a pick-up truck going twenty miles per hour. Yet it is broken," I responded. "We can figure out the reason later, perhaps it didn't last as long as I assumed it would, but right now I must fix it."

"Very well," He said.

"For that I must put you offline," I told him, speaking carefully. "You'll be powered down, your machinery and organs running at their lowest capacity simply to keep you alive. It'll be an entire day before I can reboot your systems. You'll be, essentially, gone until tomorrow…"

"I am in capable hands," He said without a trace of doubt or fear. "Do what you must doctor, I will thank you tomorrow."

"Very well, I'll take utmost care of you," I answered, my mouth suddenly feeling dry. It was stupid, but I always felt nervous when I shut him down. He wasn't dead, not really, but his body wouldn't be functioning well enough for him to move or even be conscious. I'd be able to work safely, although I'd still have to be _extremely_ careful. "Here we go."

I gently put on of my hands inside his heart box, feeling the sides with my fingers before finding what I wanted. I pressed the small button there and pulled my hand out. It was quite horrifying to see, but I could never look away. Genji's entire body shuddered violently, he let out a strangled groan, and then after a few terrible minutes his body slowly eased up. If I didn't know better, I would've thought he was dead. No time to waste, I immediately went for the lung capacitator. This machine was vital for him to live since it made his one lung work at double its capacity to make up for its missing partner. Had he kept on living with this cracked…I didn't even want to think about it.

"Athena, monitor Genji's vitals," I ordered the AI, who I knew could see everything. "And make sure nobody interrupts me. I'll need absolute focus."

"Very well, and I inform you that nearly everyone has left the base. Tracer was quite intent on sight-seeing and she dragged most of the other members outside. The only people remaining in the base are Winston, Reinhardt, Genji and yourself."

"I don't like them going out so soon after Talon finding us…but I suppose it's too late to stop them now," I said. "Thank you for the update, Athena, advise Winston and Reinhardt that I'm busy."

And after that it was all work.

The box was a delicate piece of machinery filled with wires, gears, tubes, screws and more. I was no engineer, Winston had designed this bit of machinery based off of my initial ideas, but I had memorized everything and anything that I'd have to do with this. I began by pulling it open and removing the delicate tubes, which I then cleaned with the tiny brush. I left them aside and began removing the tiny gears. It was tedious work but I was very quickly absorbed into it. My mind shut everything else out and my hands seemed to work by themselves. Soon enough the gears had been removed and cleaned, an hour later so had the screws and bolts. The gadget itself was now considerably small without all of its other components. But now came the real problem, the crack. The biggest part of the device, a metal tube that connected to the lung and provided the air, was cracked. I was surprised Genji hadn't felt much difficulty breathing. To fix this I'd need a laser welder, the kind Torbjorn used to put together the smaller part of his machines, and more wires to replace the ones that had been damaged along with the tube. I sighed, beginning immediately. It was hard, but after another hour of cleaning, welding and replacing I was nearly done. It took me some more time to put the rest of the parts back in, test the machine to make sure everything was functioning fine and then put it back into Genji. When I was done I flicked his power back on. It'd be an entire day before he was up and running though. My stomach rumbled, but I couldn't take a break now. Grabbing the screwdriver, I began reassembling his body. Once I was _finally_ done I let myself breath comfortably again, relieved the work was over. My head turned to the clock and I practically groaned. _Five hours had passed._

"Athena, are the others back yet?" I asked tiredly, pulling a chair to Genji's side and sitting down. What was there going to be for dinner? I could really go for Jesse's barbecue again…

"Negative, they haven't returned. They aren't answering any forms of communications either," She answered. "I haven't been able to contact Alessandro and Dva either. Speaking of which, we need to make a call sign for him. It'd be terrible if the enemy learned his real name."

"Wait, you cannot contact anyone? Can you contact Winston and Reinhardt inside the base?" I asked, perking up. Something didn't seem right about this, our comms couldn't just go down.

"Yes, I can," Athena answered.

"Athena, triple check all systems, especially the security systems. Inform Winston and Reinhardt to be ready," I ordered. "It may be nothing, this base has been unused for a long time, but I'd like to be sure. Tell me if you find something."

"Yes ma'am." It took only a few moments for her to return. "You are smart, doctor Zielger. I've isolated, quarantined and am now destroying a virus hidden my system. It has compromised basic security measures such as sensors and cameras. Shall I begin lockdown?"

"Where are Winston and Reinhardt, and where are the others at?" I asked, walking to the other side of the room. I fumbled around some drawers, looking for a control.

"Warning, there has been a breach. Entering lockdown mode," Athena informed me. Immediately the lights went out, I heard several loud noises throughout the hallways, and a small circular turret popped out of the roof. "Winston and Reinhardt are already by the ship, fully armed. But they cannot reach you doctor."

I cursed in German, grabbing a small black control and pressing the one red button it had. I turned to my right to see the floor open up, revealing a pod with my beloved Valkyrie suit. I approached it, smiling just a tiny bit. It brought back good memories. My smile disappeared as Athena spoke. Genji would be out of the picture for hours to come, the rest will return unaware or too late to help us, Winston and Reinhardt were stuck by the ship.

"Angela, you understand your position here, correct?"

"Yes, Athena, and I have a plan. But I'll need your help," I answered, opening the pod and grabbing my suit. "Genji's life, and my own, will depend on it."

 **And that's it for this chapter! What will the doctor do, all alone without her team? If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to fav, follow (sharing it with others would be nice~) and most importantly REVIEW because your opinions are what matter most.**

 **Oh and** _ **thank you all so much**_ **for the support you're giving, I get reviews every chapter, I'm past 100 followers~ It makes me happy, and so you can be sure I'll keep updating this!**


	16. Chapter 16: Concert Of Love

"I can't contact them," I said, sighing. I threw the communicator against a wall in anger. "Why isn't this working!"

"Calm down," Hana said, walking over to me and making me face her. Her voice was soft, yet firm. She took my hands. "They'll be fine, most of them have years more experience than we do. Well, anyone has more than you, but you know what I mean."

"I know, but they wouldn't just ignore us. Something is wrong," I answered, looking away. "If they're in trouble I want to help."

"We can help them by completing the mission, ok?" Hana said, one hand gently directing my gaze back to her. She looked great, wearing shorts, sandals, and a white shirt that slipped off her shoulder. She was still dressed for the heat, even though the night was a bit cooler. I noticed the beacon for her meka was in a pocket.

"Yeah…yeah you're right," I finally said. "Let's go then, I'd hate to be late."

She smiled and, without another word, we left the hotel and grabbed a cab. The tension was thick, and I could tell she was more worried than she had let on. My eyes kept checking every corner we passed, every shadow, especially the rooftops. I didn't want to get sniped. The thought of Widowmaker was…exciting, actually. I wanted a round two, I wanted to beat her.

And I will, I reminded myself, but I need to focus on the mission. Get Lucio before trouble gets us.

With that in mind we continued towards the building, a Fundição do Progresso, where Lucio would hold his concert. It was a big building with at least three floors, the front had yellow flame-like designed, and above the main level was filled with big glassy doors that had small porches. A steady stream of people were walking in and very few were walking out. I smiled as I saw children running around cheerfully, faces painted, young adults laughing and joking, older couples holding hands, a few people kissing even. Lucio's events had all types of people, probably from all over the country. It was quite a sight, and hard to get too. I sighed.

"It's cool," Hana whispered, her fingers sliding between mine. My thoughts completely left, and I could feel my ears turning pink. But I smiled and squeezed slightly.

The two of us made our way to the long line, and I was thankful that it was moving so fast. After about ten minutes we showed our VIP passes (which Winston had bought for us online, god thank technology) and with a few other people began to make our way to the VIP room. Apparently we'd have a special view of the entire thing, and we wouldn't be very crowded. Actually, there were only fifteen VIP passes. How had Winston gotten these? Thankfully they didn't pat us down, nor was there a metal detector or anything. Guess they didn't have to worry about armed terrorists, so they didn't find my pistol tucked in my pants behind me.

"I can't believe I'm finally at one of his concerts," Hana whispered excitedly, picking up the pace. "Come on if we get there first they'll be better spots."

I chuckled, saying, "Hana, there's only fifteen of us. I think we'll have a good spot. How come you've never gone to a concert? I mean you're Diva! You're just as famous, or more, than Lucio, it should be easy to travel and see places."

Hana snorted, turning to me as we walked. "Anything but, I'm always busy with some job. Either the military, streaming, acting, or something else. So I don't get to travel a lot just for fun, I rarely have free time if I'm honest."

"Well, that sucks," I said, frowning. "I'd fight to get some time off, like seriously. How do you take it?"

"Work with something you love, and you won't work a single day," Hana said, smiling again. "I love my job, mostly, even if it doesn't let me travel or have more friends or whatever."

"Then why'd you join us?" I asked, suddenly serious. "Don't take it wrong, it's just, you had a better deal before, right? Less fighting, more fun jobs, even if you were busy. Most people wouldn't just join Overwatch illegally and lose their life as fast as you did."

"I mean, obviously helping people was the first reason," She muttered, fidgeting with her hands nervously. "But I think it was for the adventure, for the change of pace. My life has all those cool things, but there's so much I haven't done. I lost lots of things in my life when I turned into a meka pilot."

"Well, was it worth it? Are you getting those things of your life now?" I asked quietly, taking her hand. She faced me, and without thinking, we both stopped. She brushed some hair out of her face, and her eyes turned mischievous.

"Definitely worth it, I have actual friends, I've visited places, I've enjoyed myself with you guys and…"

"And?" I prodded, taking a step closer. My heart was pounding once more, but I kept a calm look.

"And then there's you," She answered, leaning forward-

"Que lindo!"

I jumped as a couple girls appeared, fawning over how cute we were. They spoke so much, and so fast, I began to feel dizzy trying to understand them. I smiled nervously, opening my mouth to answer somehow but Hana grabbed my wrist and angrily led us away, down the hall. I tumbled after her and could see the girls giggling and smiling. Were they drunk? I managed to walk correctly, and was about to say something, but when she began squeezing my hand hard enough that I had to pull away. I decided to keep quiet and hope she wouldn't kill me.

Well, can you blame her?

I momentarily forgot about that as we walked onto the porch, already with some people on it. The building was old, but these were new installments, floating around with gravity enhancers underneath. Actually, plenty of the original building had been knocked down to make it even bigger, or else these floating porches wouldn't even have space. It was quite huge and impressive now. Our porch broke away from the wall to get a better view. The crowd was quiet, extremely quiet, and I saw them smiling widely and murmuring excitedly. My eyes turned towards the main stage, which was brightly lit but held no one, then suddenly an explosion of green light went throughout the room. I suddenly felt energized, and so much better for some reason. I could climb a mountain and I could fight one-hundred Widowmakers! I could-

Focus. I reminded myself, shaking my head as to clear it. I noticed Hana was looking just as awake and energized as I felt. What was that green light?

"Vamos esculashar!" A voice yelled, and I saw someone fall onto the stage. The green light spread over us again in a huge, and quite harmless, explosion of light. The crowd began to roar, and I found myself joining them. I felt too good right now not to join. Hana laughed and cheered with me, waving her arms wildly. The light dimmed down enough for us to see the stage now, and in the middle was Lucio himself, finally! His weapon and instrument, a stereo gun-like item that could shoot sound somehow, was pressed against the ground and he was on one knee. Slowly he stood up and faced the crowd, silencing us all with his gaze only. We waited a solid minute, quiet as can be, watching his serious face…and he suddenly broke into a wild smile.

"Que començe a festa!"

Like a switch, everyone suddenly began roaring and the small walls between the audience and the rest of the building sunk into the ground. People rushed forward and the music began blaring. I saw people going in groups, coupling up, or just roaming around by themselves and having fun. Lucio began singing and damn he had a good voice, and he had some good skills with that weapon/instrument of his. I didn't understand all the words, but he was singing about partying, enjoying life, not giving in to work and boredom. I couldn't help but smile, tapping my foot to the beat. I was pulled back and now had Hana in front of me, who was smirking.

"Well? Let's dance!"

And we did. I was pretty awkward at first, but Hana didn't notice or didn't care. She danced like a pro, all those weird foot movements EDM lovers do, and after a bit, she turned to something more practical that I could follow. Soon enough we were a series of spins, laughs, and movements back and forth on the porch. I heard some cheering and notice the other people on the porch had gone to the edges to give us space, and were recording us with their phones. But I didn't care, and I laughed loudly as Hana spun straight into my arms. I grabbed her waist and picked her up, continuing with her momentum and putting her on the railing. Her arms were around my neck, we were both breathing hard and smiling widely.

"Where'd you learn to dance like that?" Hana asked, speaking loudly to be heard over the music.

"Uh, right now?" I answered nervously. She laughed and pushed herself off, still in my arms, and we were at it again.

I don't how long we did it, or how many songs passed, but together we danced and danced, almost like we were reading each other's minds to know exactly what we'd do next. We were in perfect sync. Hana took my hand and I spun with her, immediately afterward she pulled herself close and, one arm around her waist, I'd spin again and let her drop nearly to the floor before pulling her back up. The others had joined us, and we all began laughing and dancing together. Hana and I exchanged partners for a few moves, always returning to each other. Another man and I had a challenge of sorts, and we ended up in a circle made by the rest as we danced in literally anyway. I didn't win, of course, his zamba moves were incredibly, but we both laughed and shared a drink before returning to our girls. And we continued for hours, with no notion of time. So this is what a rave was, huh? I had never been to one, and I could definitely get used to it.

Especially if she's here. I thought. It was sudden, but I didn't mind it. I was resting up a bit as Hana danced with two other girls, the three laughing and enjoying themselves. She looked so, well, beautiful. Especially now, so full of life, with that smile on her face. I sighed contently, sipping my caipirinha. The music began to quiet down until it stopped completely, and Lucio began to speak.

"Agora!" He called, looking over the entire audience. "Pra voceis, um clasico!"

He gave his weapon to someone else and took the mic, a guitar started playing from the stereos. It sounded quite simple for his music, but the Brazilians roared their approval, and I was very surprised to realize I knew the song. I laughed and put my drink down, turning to see Hana in front of me. Without waiting I grabbed her and walked to the other end of the gravity porch.

"Seu não mente fala verdade, De que árvore vocé nasceu?"

This was a slower version of the song, and much like the other couples I put my arms around Hana's waist and held her close. She wrapped her arms around my neck and together we began swaying to the music, smiling at each other and dancing. Neither of us said a word, we just continued dancing.

"Porque meu destino, É tao parecido com o seu?"

She sighed contently, resting her head on my shoulder as our bodies swayed. It felt so perfect, so natural, and this wasn't because of Lucio's magical glow. I waited a few moments before speaking, whispering so quietly in her ear I almost thought she couldn't hear me.

"Would you be my player two?"

"Lá vem o sol, Agora digam que sim-"

She went eye-wide, her body freezing completely.

"Semente eu sou sua terra, Semente pode entrar em mim…"

She smiled and pressed her lips softly against mine. Everything melted away, the music, the people, the dancing, and my heart began racing, full of happiness. When she pulled away I couldn't stop smiling, and neither could she.

"Tenha certeza, Que vai nascer uma planta, Que a flor vai ser de esperança, De amor que pro der e vier, Oh Mulher! Semente, Semente, Semente, Semente, Semente…"

/

I laughed as Hana pulled me along, teasing me in Korean. The two of us were on the porch with the other VIP people, heading towards the back of the stage. After he sang that last song, Semente, he announced he was taking his usual ten-minute break. Everyone knew this mean they'd go backstage for a bottle of water before his last song, and that VIPs would get to see him and speak to him. Although my mind should've been on the mission, they were still on Hana. My heart was still racing, and every time she turned back and smiled at me I felt like putty. I was still smiling like an idiot as we walked through a large door, into an open with dozens of people working. They walked here and there with cameras, papers, lights, and such gear. Others were standing or sitting by tables, taking a break after the large concert, and a few were still working, tapping us as we walked into the room and shining a light on-

"Lucio!" Hana cheered. On cue, everyone suddenly saw him and the group rushed over. He was swarmed with questions and requests for autographs. But then his eyes focused on us, or rather, on Hana, and his smile grew wide.

"Get out of here! Is that the Hana Song? Dva?" Lucio asked, silencing everyone. "I saw you on the cameras but didn't know you'd come back here!"

"I'm a huge fan!" Hana said, letting go of my hand to shake his. "I love your new album."

"Dva is my fan?" Lucio put his hand behind his back, looking very happy. "Gotta take a minute to process this, I mean how cool is that?" He chuckled. "Hey, follow Ronaldo and I'll meet you guys in a few, I got something you'll love," Lucio called someone in Portuguese and then returned to the other fans, who seemed very surprised. This tall man dressed in a suit, security no doubt, beaconed us to follow him. A short walk took us to what must've been Lucio's room. The door had a star with his name in it, and inside there was music instruments, equipment, and a bed. Looks like he practiced a lot before concerts.

"He'll be here in a few minutes," Ronaldo said in heavily accented English before leaving us alone. I looked around, a bit flustered by the whole situation, but Hana couldn't have been happier. She immediately dashed to the shelves, observing several albums and tiny gadgets.

"So, I guess this makes things easier," I said. "The perks of being famous."

"I guess," Hana said. "Although I'd like to think he would've noticed me even if I wasn't famous."

"I'm sure he would've," I answered, smiling and hugging her waist from behind. "Who wouldn't? Dva is cool, but Hana Song is amazing." I chuckled as, for once, she was the one to stutter nervously and blush. At that moment the door opened and Lucio walked in, but he paused at the door.

"Am I interrupting?" He asked jokingly. My ears turned pink and I pulled away, rubbing the back of my head. He laughed. "Don't worry, amigo, it's cute. I especially loved seeing you two on the porch, trust me that song was for you."

"You…you saw us?" I asked, surprised. He laughed again and nodded.

"Someone in the crew spotted you and shone a light from above, then the cameras focused on you two, millions of people watching this live saw you two, and I gotta say I love to see this kind of thing at my concerts."

"Oh that isn't good, oh that so isn't good," I muttered. "Hana, we need to go."

"What?" Hana said, pouting. "Why?"

"We were seen by people all over the world, people say Dva with me," I answered, but she only looked offended.

"I wanted to be with you, I'm glad they saw us," She answered, crossing her arms. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh my god, Talon!" I practically hissed back. The color drained from her face. "Exactly, so let's hurry and go."

"Um…am I missing something here?" Lucio asked, looking very confused. "Is everything ok?" Hana and I shared a look, and she sighed.

"Lucio," She began, sounding much more serious and official. The expression on her face was the same as when she gamed, she was very serious about everything now. "You saved millions of people from slavery here in Rio, you fought back a corrupt company and you have incredible abilities. We think…we think you could be a member."

"A member of what?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Overwatch," I answered, crossing my arms.

In all honesty, I expected him to freak out a bit. Be very surprised, or just not really believe us at first, but he must've seen the seriousness in our faces.

"Hell yeah! The people of Overwatch are my heroes. When I revolted here in Rio, I used them as an example! They inspired us to move up and beyond, to be free!" Lucio chuckled and gave us a firm nod. "I'm in, just let me finish this concert. One more song and we can go wherever it is we have to."

"That's…that's it?" Hana asked, raising an eyebrow. "Just like that, you'll join us?"

"You guys are part of Overwatch," Lucio answered casually. "I've always looked up to you, and I think we need the heroes back more than ever. If I can help that happen…well, I won't hesitate. Anything to help others." He extended his hand to me, his face completely serious. After a moment I shook it.

"Ok, then we'll see here after the concert. Be careful, I doubt our enemies can arrive so quick, but just in case."

"Yeah, you're right, and there's no news of Dva…" Lucio smiled mischievously. "So I was wondering if you'd like to make a guest appearance. It'd be awesome."

"I'd love to!" Hana squealed, smiling excitedly.

"Woah woah woah," I raised my hands in a time-out gesture. "It isn't safe for her to go out, they saw me with her and they know I'm part of Overwatch."

"Yeah but you said they couldn't get here that fast, we can go out for five minutes," Hana argued, looking annoyed.

"It's risky," I replied, glaring at her.

"I can take care of myself," She said, stepping close to me.

"Not from a sniper that you can't even see," I countered.

"You have an obsession with that woman, we'll be fine, she can't be here yet," Hana replied, grabbing Lucio's wrist and leaving the room before I could answer. I stared at the door for a few moments, confused. Why was she so offended? My confusion quickly turned to anger, I grit my teeth and ran after them. Ronald was outside and didn't even speak, he just pointed towards the stage. I sighed as I heard applause. They were already out. I dashed towards the edge of the stage and saw them, but I didn't interrupt. There was nothing to do now but wait five minutes…

Hana took the mic, giving a few of her signature poses and quotes, which brought tremendous applause from the crowd. She had plenty of fans here. Lucio then took it back and began the last song, dancing with Dva. Anger still bubbled inside me, but now it wasn't because of the risks. I watched as she laughed, dancing with Lucio, and for some reason I wanted to punch him in the face.

Calm down, what did you think would happen? They're just dancing, duh, focus on keeping them safe.

My eyes shifted back to the audience, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary. I looked upwards but didn't see the red dot that indicated Widowmaker's rifle. No Reaper or Widow. All light suddenly flashed on the two, making Lucio falter and Hana cover her eyes, but they kept performing. I heard yelling behind me and turned to see three men arguing, messing around with a machine. It was glowing purple and it sparked before shutting down. Ronaldo was with them and turned to me with a worried face. That was all I needed. I spun and dashed towards the two, right as the crack of a rifle filled the air, and the three of us fell to the ground.

"Go, run!" I yelled. Neither hesitated, dashing straight towards safety. I pulled out my pistol and spun around, aiming directly at the red dot that was Widowmaker.

 **Took awhile, but here it is! As always, fav, follow, share and REVIEW because your opinions are always valued. See you guys next time!**

 **Oh and to the person who told me the death toll in Russia wasn't 50 million, you were right! It was 50 thousand, I'm trying to fix the document without replacing all of it. Thank you for pointing that out!**


	17. Chapter 17: Escapando do Brasil

_Fool._ I thought as I readjusted my aim. He reacted extremely fast, if not for him running out and tackling the other two they'd be dead by now. Did he think he could hit me with a pistol from all the way over there? His bullets did get surprisingly close, that I will admit, but I didn't even flinch. He couldn't hit me, that was a fact. I watched as he emptied his magazine, causing mass panic at the same time. Diva and Lucio had already made it to safety, but we would take care of them soon enough. I smiled as bullet stopped firing, and I saw his mouth move in a curse. Crosshairs aimed at his head, I pulled the trigger.

But his friends were faster. In a flash of green Lucio was in front of him, weapon raised, and he easily pushed the bullet away with the amp. It embedded itself harmlessly into a wall. I saw the two running for cover and fired two more bullets. But the boy was smarter than he looked. A split second before I had fired he had grabbed Lucio, pulling him backward so suddenly my bullets missed. I sighed but kept calm. Targets moved unpredictably. I just had to make them predictable. The two made it to cover and I aimed upwards, at the lights. In a couple seconds all of them were destroyed, leaving the entire building in pure darkness. I could hear men somewhere below me, the security force, yelling out in what was either panic or surprise. Perhaps both. They'd be here shortly, but for now, I had to focus on my prey. I tapped the side of my visor and my view changed. Thermal. I could see the three of them hiding behind the curtains on the far right, probably trying to communicate with the people hiding on the far left. And for some reason, some people were running across the stage in plain sight. I smirked, mentally thanking them for their idiocy, and fired at what appeared to be a man. He went down on stage. I saw the people on the left freeze and then run outside of cover. They wouldn't hide, why? Simple, to protect the innocent. Fools, all of them. I shot the one closer to safety first, sending a bullet straight through his skull. The other two didn't even slow down, picking up people that had tripped and sending them towards the three heroes. I gunned the second man down, and the third looked toward where I was, then towards the last person on the stage. A woman, from the looks of it. He hesitated, then dashed towards her, helping her up and trying to run to safety with her. I saw the boy and Lucio encouraging them, urging them to go faster. But it was useless. They were flies and I was a spider.

" _Adieu,"_ I said, pulling the trigger once to take out the security. He woman tripped over herself continued running. The boy took a step forward, reaching out- But she never made it, never had a chance, because another round pierced her chest. She fell down, but wasn't dead, no, she was crawling towards safety. Lucio tried to go forward but Diva visibly held him back. The boy took a step forward, reaching out towards the woman. He was too much of a hero, always trying to save the others. I easily fired another round through her skull. I could see how he froze up, one hand still outstretched towards her, watching in surprise as the blood exited her skull. Diva tugged his arm, then pulled him back harshly. He didn't seem to be responding…ah, right. My mind went back to when we attacked his town and I shot his mother. This scene must have been familiar. PTSD was a terrible thing. Diva slapped him, from the looks of it, she slapped him hard, and now he seemed able to move. She grabbed his hand and turned to Lucio. After a few exchanges, the Brazilian began leading them away, deeper into the building.

"Targets on the move, heading deeper inside the building," I informed the team, glancing to the door as I heard heavy footsteps approaching. The room I was in was storage, it was filled with different objects, and there was no roof, just metal girders above me. I planted a poison canister by the door and grappled to the girders, my rifle morphing into machine-gun. Then, I waited. I heard them yelling, giving orders and responding to their comms. Obviously, they weren't trying to be stealthy. The footsteps stopped by the door, and the voices quieted down.

" _Bonjour,"_ I whispered as the door flung open. Five heavily armed men rushed forward, automatic rifles raised, and looked at every corner. The canister opened up and purple vapor covered the men. They began yelling and coughing wildly, stumbling forward and out of the vapor. I smirked and aimed my weapon. One of them, a young man with black hair, looked upwards. His eyes widened as he saw me and he opened his mouth to speak. I pulled the trigger five times, and the five men fell to the ground.

" _Au revoir,"_ I said.

" _Widowmaker, I'm after the targets,"_ A female voice suddenly chirped in comms. _"Do you them on thermals?"_

" _Non_ , they've gone too deep inside the building. But they cannot escape." I answered, setting up by the window again.

" _I'm cut off, again,"_ Reaper informed with an angry tone. Oh, I nearly felt bad for the people that had to face him. _"You know what to do."_

" _I'm all over it!"_

/

 **Alessandro's POV**

"Thanks, Lucio," I said, breathing hard as we made it to Hana. She punched me hard in the stomach, making me groan, and began cursing me out in Korean.

"Why would you try to take out a sniper with a pistol!" She shook her head quickly. "Once we're out of this I'll kill you."

"Thanks, babe," I answered casually, turning towards the stage. My eyes widened as I saw a woman running towards us, and I took a step forward, reaching out to her, but in a split second, I knew what was going to happen. I flinched as her head exploded, blood splattering over me, then things got…confusing. I frowned and wiped some of the blood off my face, blinking repeatedly. I was home now, my mother was laying in front of me, chaos surrounded me. Wait, no…I was at the concert, there was screaming, but we were mostly alone…right? I shook my head wildly, trying to make sense of everything. Where was I? Home? Brazil? I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around, seeing Hana- No, Rebecca in front of me.

"Ale, you said you'd stay with us!" Rebecca yelled, but then Hana was in front of me. "Snap out of it! We need to go!"

"No no no…" I murmured, grabbing my head and shaking it quickly. Where was I? Was I home? Were my sisters with me? They needed me, but they had died, hadn't they? I groaned and fell to my knees, breathing hard. This couldn't be happening, this was impossible.

"Alessandro-"

"Shut up!" I yelled, closing my eyes tight. "This isn't real! None of it! I'm not back there!" Someone made me look up and slapped me, _hard._ Now Hana was in front of me, looking angry and worried at the same time. She grabbed my shoulders, shaking me viciously.

"Listen, it's me, Hana, we're in Brazil, ok? We need to go," She yelled, pulling me closer. "We need to go now."

"H-hana, I-"

" _Now!"_ She ordered. I managed a simple nod.

/

 **Diva's POV**

This was bad, _very bad_. Alessandro was out of it, he might not be yelling now but he kept looking around nervously, his fists clenched so hard they turned white. I had tried another time to snap him out of it, but it wasn't working. I wish I could just make him feel better, but right now I couldn't even focus on him. I turned to Lucio.

"Do you have an airship? A car? _Anything,"_ I asked.

"I got a car, which can take us to a small airport close by," Lucio mumbled, his eyes scanning the floor for dead people. People that were fans of his, people that worked for him, he shook his head sadly. His eyes seemed to focus on Ronaldo, his head of security, although it was a bit dark now thanks to Widowmaker.

"Lucio, snap out of it, we need to go and protect Alessandro," I said. He turned to me and after a moment nodded.

"Yeah, you're right, come on! I know another way out, away from that sniper. My security will probably be trying to get her now."

"They'll fail, she's on an entire level entirely. If we leave she'll follow, until we escape, so let's hurry," I answered, turning to Alessandro again. I got on one knee and offered a hand, speaking gently. "We need to go-"

"The doors blocked, the doors blocked, w-we need to get to the corner," He said, focusing on me. I shook my head slowly.

"Just trust me, it's Hana, you can trust me," I tried, he seemed confused once more but after a few moments took my hand. I smiled at him widely then nodded at Lucio.

He began to lead the way deeper into the building, amp raised in case someone attacked us. We passed several members of the security team (it must've been a large team) and civilians who had run here, and I noticed just how much of an idol Lucio was to him. Men that were simply sitting on the floor watched him come, then grabbed their guns and got back into defensive positions. He yelled words of encouragement and blasted his music, healing smaller wounds and bringing smiles to their faces. I could hear gunshots through the building, but from the sound of it, the Brazilians were fighting back. One guard yelled something to Lucio and he nodded, amping up our speed. I wasn't sure how he did it, probably nanotechnology, but the three of us seemed to move faster. We were getting closer to gunfire now, and Lucio indicated I stay behind with Alessandro. He changed his amp to healing mode and dashed, or skated actually, into the room. I took a peek, a bit curious to how he fought, and I have to admit it was impressive. He fired and pushed two men back with the sheer force of the sound, skating on the side of the wall, the roof, and then coming down the opposite wall to throw the enemies aim off. He fired and again and slid across the floor, standing up behind them and pushing three _into_ the wall with a strong blast. He elbowed the fourth behind him and then wacked him hard with his amp.

"Ok come on! Hurry up!" He called.

Once again we ran, the two of us behind him as he healed others. It seemed that we were going deeper into the building, which seemed weird. Shouldn't we be trying to get out? But instead of questioning him I just continued running, never letting go of Alessandro's hand. Having an objective seemed to help him focus because he was quiet now and looked a bit more determined instead of confused. We crossed one hallway and he picked up a rifle by a Talon corpse. I smiled, the Brazilians must be making some progress against them.

"We're almost there! Just a bit further!"

"Where are we going?" Alessandro asked.

"There's a tunnel system under some of these buildings, built about ten years ago, they lead directly to the parking lot," He replied, then with a yelp. "Watch out!" He jumped over a man that turned the corner, a member of Talon, and Alessandro yelled in anger. He ran forward and literally tackled the guy, slowing down just a moment so I could catch up.

"Come on Jasmine, I said I'll keep you safe!" He yelled, taking my hand again. I sighed, but at least he wasn't having a panic attack now.

"In here!" Lucio called, opening a wooden door and leading us forward. I was about to go in but Alessandro held me back, when I turned to him he seemed absolutely horrified.

"Not there, not there, there has to be another place," He said, turning around.

"No time! This is our only choice," Lucio answered.

"This is where it happens!" He yelled back, shifting nervously on his feet. He seemed like he was about to run off, maybe he actually would. "Alessandro," I grabbed the sides of his face, pulling him close, forcing him to look at me. "This isn't your home, we're in Brazil. The building will not fall, and we will make it out. Just trust us, ok? Don't think about anything except leaving this place and shooting the bad guys, we'll focus on the rest."

"Ruby I-"

"I'm not Ruby! Or Jasmine! Or Rebecca!" I yelled, pulling him into a harsh, demanding kiss. I held him back at arm's length a moment later. "I'm Hana Song! Your girlfriend! The gamer! You don't have to worry about us, just focus on getting out and we'll do the rest, ok?"

"Hana…I," He sighed, looking completely lost. His eyes seemed to register different environments.

"Ok?"

"Yeah…just lead the way," He answered quietly, he seemed to regret that answer, like another voice in his head was screaming at him to do something else, anything else. But he kept his mouth shut. "And let's hurry."

I gave him a nod and took his hand again, looking at the darkness of the room. I took a deep breath, walking inside and pulling him along. Lucio walked in after us and closed the door, his get up providing a faint glow which let us guide navigate without bumping into everything. Lucio took the lead again, quietly looking around the room. We went at a slower pace now, and the sounds of battle were muffled above us. It took about ten minutes, and when I finally thought we were lost I heard the sounds of the city ahead of us. Lucio smiled widely and gave me a nod, and like an _idiot_ , I jogged ahead. I felt something hard hit my head before I covered even half the distance. Bullets were fired, Lucio yelled out, and then silence. I frowned and slowly, very slowly, sat up. I blinked a few times and looked in front of me. I saw Alessandro, his gun on the floor, looking at me with worry.

 _Click._

I froze as the cold barrel of another gun was pressed against the back of my head. I gently turned my head as much as I could to look at my attacker, and she didn't stop me. A brown-skinned lady with purple hair and a submachine gun winked at me, then spoke.

" _Hola, amigos,"_ The girl purred. "Were you going somewhere? Without saying hello to your friend Sombra?"

/

" _Chupame la pija,"_ Alessandro spat. The woman behind me laughed.

" _Tendria cuidado si fuera tu, yo soy la que tiene mi arma en la nuca de tu novia,"_ She answered smoothly. My eyes just now registered Lucio on the floor, his eyes closed. I panicked for a split-second, but he also let out a groan which told me he was alive.

"Why haven't you shot us yet?" I asked.

"Hana, are you _sure_ you want to ask that?" Alessandro asked, he visibly flinched, and I wondered what he was actually seeing. At least, for now, he could tell the real world apart from whatever had appeared to him before. I bit my lip as Sombra laughed again.

"No no, she's right, I mean if I wanted you two dead I would've shot you already," Sombra admitted. "Let's talk."

I felt the barrel removed from my head. Sombra pulled me to my feet and then pushed me to Alessandro, who automatically grabbed me and pushed me behind himself, acting as my human shield. The two of them stared at each other for a minute, then another, Alessandro with a glare and Sombra with a smirk. Her gun was in one hand, propped against a shoulder and pointed upwards.

"Widowmaker is going to be really mad if you let us go," Alessandro finally said. _Ugh, again with that woman._ Well his paranoia with her had kept us alive, if he hadn't dived to the stage Lucio or me, maybe both of us, would be dead. Sombra seemed to be thinking about the same thing.

"I did shine the lights on your friends _, amigo_ , and you know Widowmaker wouldn't need them. I signaled to you that there was trouble, and I did it on purpose," Sombra admitted. "But she'll never know about that."

"But why?" I asked impatiently. She turned her eyes to me, a bit annoyed as if I were interrupting something of theirs. She instantly made me mad.

"I have the habit of collecting friends," Sombra finally answered. "A friend in the Overwatch organization? I always wanted a friend like that!" She smiled wider and holstered her weapon. "So let's talk." I doubt Alessandro was in the right state of mind to negotiate, or even fight someone like this, but much to his credit, he put on a neutral look and crossed his arms.

"We don't deal with criminals," He stated firmly.

"Ironic, since you decided to stay with Overwatch after your town was destroyed," Sombra said, then in a whisper. "Do you hear that? You're still there, they need you outside."

"What?" I asked, mainly to myself. I looked around but couldn't see or hear anything resembling battle. What was she going on about? Alessandro seemed just as confused. I couldn't let this go on, she was planning _something._ My hand, hidden behind Alessandro, gripped my meka's beacon. I pressed the button, but nothing happened.

"Meka signal scrambled," A more synthetic Mexican voice said, it reminded me of a Mexican Athena.

"Nice try, but we've taken precautions with you two," Sombra said, sounding quite accomplished. God, I wanted to smack that stupid smirk off her face. She put her hands together then expanded them into a holo-screen. On the screen, there was a video feed, and I had the suspicion it was live, there were armed soldiers in a town. Marines of the United States. The town could've been any out there, but that didn't matter. The camera zoomed in and focused on a pair of soldiers, and I heard Alessandro gasp. He took a step forward and reached out, but Sombra took a step back and out of his reach.

"How are you seeing this?" He asked, his voice a whisper. His eyes were wide, panicky, he clenched his fists. "Why are you showing me him?!" I frowned and turned back to the screen, giving both men a good look. Then it hit me, the one on the right looked somewhat like Alessandro, had his eyes too. I'd be willing to bet that without the helmet he'd have the same hair. It was his father.

"The last member of your immediate family," Sombra announced quietly. "It'd be terrible if his unit were attacked by an overwhelming force. If either of you decides to be a hero, well, I can't say you'll see your father again."

"I'm going to kill you," Alessandro murmured through clench teeth. I smiled, his anger helped him focus, maybe we did have a chance to fight. It was a stupid thought, I should've known she'd have a trick, she'd know how to manipulate us.

"If you try, this will happen again," Sombra replied, her smile turning devious. The image changed to a war zone, another town slightly different from the first. People were getting gunned down, cars were exploding, a building collapsed. The change was so sudden I didn't have time to do anything. Alessandro's eyes widened in horror, and then he ran to the corner, using his body as a shield for nothing. Sombra pulled out her gun and aimed it at me. "Sorry, _dulzura_ , but you and the Brazilian won't make it out of here. Can't have you ruining this."

I truly thought I was going to die, my allies were out of commission, my MEKA wasn't coming down, I was unarmed and with no protection. I couldn't even take cover; I would never make it. But then Sombra's AI, Calavera, spoke.

"Enemy AI detected, scrambling units disabled. MEKA unit landing," Calavera announced.

" _Que?"_ She growled, pulling the trigger, but a giant pink blur crashed through the floor and landed in front of me. I laughed in relief and immediately grabbed the handles, getting pulled inside. Sombra was looking up at me now, she looked very mad. I smiled widely and shook the dust off my MEKA.

"Who won't be making it out of here?" I asked cheerfully, opening fire. Sombra cursed rolled behind a cement column. I activated my boosters and crashed through the weak cement, tackling her into a wall. She yelled out in pain and disappeared in a flash of purple. I don't know how she did it, but I didn't have time to worry about it. I heard a groan and someone shuffling. "Lucio! Lucio grab Alessandro, we need to go!"

"What happened?" He asked, sitting up. I exited the MEKA and jogged to him, helping him to his feet. "Diva what's wrong with Alessandro?"

"No time to explain, I need you to carry him. Knock him out if you have to, I don't care. I'll keep us safe," I answered, gently prodding him to Alessandro. Luckily Alessandro didn't fight Lucio, he just kept looking around and mumbling under his breath. I returned to my MEKA and shot open the only door. It crumbled and revealed stairs. I could see a bit of the night sky, full of stars. "Are you ready?"

"I got him, let's roll," Lucio replied.

I smiled, now was _my_ turn to take the lead. I flew up the stairs in a second, scanning the area around me. Almost immediately bullets peppered my hull.

"Winky face~" I said as gunfire stopped, winking at the man in front of me. My blasters sprung to life and he yelled for a second before falling down. The others finally got back to their senses and tried to reload, but with quick turns, I cut through them. No body armor could save them from my plasma. Lucio shot one with his amp and ran out, making a straight dash for the nearest car. He dropped his weapon and opened the door, quickly putting Alessandro inside.

"Diva, get on top!" He called, picking up his weapon and getting in the driver's street. Without hesitation, I flew on top of the car, a simple black rectangle by the way (I thought he'd have something flashier) and stepped on the top lightly. Lucio took the signal and we sped off, enemy vehicles already pursuing us.

Let me tell you, it is _hard_ to keep your balance on a car moving high-speed, and shoot enemies. One of my hands was constantly on another small lever, making quick and precise changes to my thrusters so I wouldn't fall off at every turn. Besides that, one hand was on the gun controls, firing at the enemies with perfect aim. Sadly, I didn't have lots of range, but this was difficult, and that's why it was my line of work. I was the _best_. A Talon truck, a bulky all terrain red and black vehicle, began picking up on us and a man with an RPG appeared at the window. Without hesitation, I peppered his side of the car with bullets. It swerved away and crashed into a wall.

"Diva can you try and not destroy Brazil!" Lucio yelled.

"You have no idea how hard this is, just keep driving!" I yelled back.

"Just keep the people safe!" He answered, making another left. I yelped and quickly readjusted the thrusters, keeping myself onboard. Three more cars were behind us, too far to shoot properly but close enough to shoot back. One man opened the roof and stood, holding an RPG.

"Time to raise my EPM!" I called. A second the later the defense system sprang to life and destroyed the rocket in midair. The next round of bullets was vaporized by the tiny lasers. I heard someone yell "Come on!" and smiled again. The EPM went down and I opened fire on the hood of the closet car. I was leaning quite a bit, but my thrusters kept me from actually falling. The hood began to smoke, then it burst into flames. The driver jumped out and someone inside yelled as the entire car burst into flames. "Lucio how much longer!"

"We're here!" He yelled back, taking a sharp turn. Several men with assault rifles and body armor were already by the airport gates, apparently waiting for us. The gate itself led towards a cluster of hangars, not the actual airport. Without slowing down Lucio raced through the gates. The men at the gate opened fire, and a helicopter appeared as well. I smirked. Talon would have their work cut out for them. Lucio rode all the way to the hangar in the back, against the opposite fence. He slowed down and then parked inside, wasting no moment to jump out. I whistled, impressed, as he dashed towards his private jet. Sleek, small, obviously fast and quite stylish. He took out a small control and pressed a button, opening the door.

"How long until we can take off?" I asked, jumping off the vehicle and watching the hangar entrance.

"Five minutes to prep and take off," Lucio called from inside. "The security forces should have our backs, though."

"Doubtful…" I murmured. Not that I doubted the skill of those men, and I'm sure they could handle the Talon infantry just fine. But there were worse things than Talon infantry, and I expected someone else to appear. Call it a hunch, but I think it was quite obvious. He wouldn't miss the chance to murder any Overwatch agents. I smirked, and sighed, as I saw a lone figure approach the hangar entrance. "Called it."

"Called what?" Lucio asked. I heard him curse in Portuguese, probably seeing our enemy from the jet's window. "I got h-"

"No, get our ride ready, I'll keep this one busy," I said, interrupting him. He didn't reply, so I assumed he was getting to work. A few minutes, that's all we needed. I watched as he, the Reaper, slowly approached me. He pulled two hellfire shotguns out of nowhere.

"Hana Song," He murmured. "Sombra was supposed to take care of you."

"It'll take a lot more to beat me," I answered.

"Interesting final words," He murmured.

He raised both shotguns and fired at me, a low growl resonating in his throat as my EPM rose to stop them. I began advancing, forcing him back as he fired. He threw his weapons aside and I flew forward, ramming into him. He growled as he flew back, falling onto his feet, and I opened fire. My confident smirk disappeared, replaced by a worried look. He seemed to be absorbing the bullets, and even while I was shooting he pulled out two new guns and fired back. I grunted as my meka began to take damage, my EPM still charging up. I swung at him but it went right through his body as mist. He passed right through me and I felt bullets hitting the back of my hull.

" _Sswa jug-yeo beolil geoya!"_ I yelled in my native tongue, flying upwards and falling on top of him. Black mist left the ground and he reformed in front of me. I opened fire before he even appeared, he was smart enough to float away behind some crates. "Lucio how long?!"

"We're up! But if he shoots the engines before I can accelerate out of the hangar we're done for!" He replied. The engines flared to life (About time!) and the jet began moving slowly. Reaper walked out and both his gun were aimed for the cockpit. I boosted and crashed towards him again- Or that was the plan. He turned into black mist and I sailed right through him, hitting a metal wall. Bullets peppered my backside and I heard the alarm go off. I spun around and pressed the self-destruct button.

" _Nerf this!"_

My make ejected me out, and dashed behind a bunch of crates. The explosion wouldn't really hurt me, but I always took cover anyway. I kept my head low as it charged up for a few seconds. I could hear Reaper's footsteps; he was running towards me. The sound suddenly dimmed, and a green glow expanded over the room with a loud explosion. I took a deep breath, waiting a few moments. I couldn't hear any more footsteps, but I could hear the jet making its way to the exit. I sighed in relief, I must've won. No surprise there, I always won.

"Vengeance shall be mine."

Everything seemed to slow down. I heard the click of Reaper's weapons behind me, my heart quickened, I began to turn out of instinct but I knew he'd get me now. The bullet never arrived. Reaper yelled out and I heard him tumbling down somewhere. Time sped back up, I spun and could see him on the floor. Alessandro was on top of him, both were wrestling for the shotguns. Reaper was struggling to aim them at Alessandro, but somehow he was holding out. Alessandro yelled and somehow threw one shotgun away, it clattered at my feet. Reaper kicked him off and got up but he didn't even have time to aim as Alessandro charged him again, jumping. Reaper crouched and Alessandro sailed over him, landing on his other side and spinning in a second. He kicked the shotgun out of Reaper's hand and suddenly the two were at it, exchanging blows at an incredible pace. How was Alessandro even managing this? No way he felt better yet.

"Heads up!" Lucio yelled. Just now I noticed the jet had turned slightly, heading towards those two. Alessandro jumped out of the way and Reaper turned to mist as the wheel of the plane went through him. I heard Lucio muttering angrily in Portuguese as he quickly corrected the route of the plane, barely avoiding the wall and speeding out the entrance. "Guys get on!"

"You cannot escape me!" Reaper yelled, pulling out new shotguns. Suddenly Alessandro jumped on him, trying to get him in a body lock. His legs wrapped around Reaper's waist and his arms were around Reaper's too, trying to keep them from using his weapons. He opened his mouth to say something but Reaper head-butted him. I had to help him, no way were we getting to the jet with Reaper fighting us. I looked around for my pistol, it must've fallen _somewhere._ Then I got a better idea, I bent down and grabbed the shotgun that had fallen. It was pretty heavy for a gun.

"Alessandro!" I yelled. He saw me and instantly hid behind Reaper, holding him but trying to use him as a shield too. Reaper roared as I pulled the trigger once, twice, three times. The projectiles hit his bodies and flew to the sides. After the third shot, he dissipated for good, letting Alessandro fall to the ground. But we didn't have time to celebrate, I could see the jet going down the runway. And- Lucio was skating towards us? He made it to Alessandro and lifted him up, then went up to me.

"We gotta go, the jets on autopilot, we can make it if we run."

"What? That's impos-"

"Trust me, now run!"

And so we did. The three of us dashed towards the aircraft. Lucio was in front, skating and keeping his weapon up. I was behind him, and Alessandro was panting, barely able to keep up with me. That was definitely not a good sign. Either way, it was hopeless. The jet was speeding away, faster and faster. Would the autopilot take off automatically?

"We're not going to-"

" _Speed BOOST!"_ Lucio's weapon and skates began to glow green, and suddenly I felt much better. The three of us quite literally zoomed forward across the runway at a speed that shouldn't have been possible. Lucio jumped on the side of the plane and then through the door. The stairs were still down, a few feet above the door. He clambered down and reached out to us. Alessandro grabbed my waist and lifted me, I grabbed onto Lucio's hands and he picked me up and put me safely on the stairs. The speed seemed to be wearing off, but with one last burst of energy, Alessandro jumped and grabbed Lucio's hands. He pulled him up and the stairs immediately retracted, basically throwing us all inside and sprawling us on the floor.

" _Bem-vindo a bordo, faremos o nosso melhor pra garantir que você aproveite seu vôo. Próxima parada; Suíça."_

"Are we good?" Alessandro groaned.

"Yeah we're good," Lucio answered, slowly getting on his feet. "I think we're safe now."

"Great, let's see if the others missed us," I murmured. On cue, Alessandro's communicator began beeping. Alessandro pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it to me. I caught it and pressed the one button on top. Winston's worried face appeared.

" _Diva? Is that you?"_ He asked, narrowing his eyes. _"We're having interference."_

"It's me, Winston," I confirmed. "What's wrong? You look worried."

" _Talon cut off our comms, we barely managed to escape the base alive,"_ He said, pushing his glasses into place. _"Set course to Spain, or the closest area possible, and we'll go get you."_

"Is everyone ok?" I asked quietly.

" _Mercy is wounded, but she'll survive. The rest are fine, don't worry,"_ He said with a chuckle. _"They'll have to try harder than that to defeat us."_


	18. Chapter 18: Operation Stealthy Angel

"Athena," I whispered. "When I arrive at the dining area I want you to move Genji."

"Understood, shall I open the blast doors?" Athena said.

"One at a time, they make much noise. Open random doors as well to throw Talon off."

"Very well."

The plan itself was simple. Genji had been moved to a portable table and a small utility robot had been attached to it. I would go one way, attracting Talon's soldiers, and Genji would quietly be taken to Reinhardt and Winston at the other side of the base. Athena would use whatever security systems remained to protect Genji and help me move along, I would go around the entire base and eventually arrive at the ship, right after Genji. I had already donned my Valkyrie quick response suit, but for once, the staff was on my back and my pistol was in my hands. I was a pacifist, but I had long ago accepted that fact that I'd need a bit of violence to save myself or others. These enemies would not hesitate, and neither could I.

"Athena, begin," I ordered.

"Operation Stealthy Angel: In progress."

Before I could question the name the doors opened and I ran out. The suit itself seemed to weigh nothing and I quickly made my way through the halls. These halls were now peppered with blast doors, but every time I approached one the blast door would open to let me through and then close behind me. After I made it through the fifth door I was beginning to wonder where they opposition was, but then Athena spoke.

"Caution: Talon agents ahead. Engaging," Athena said. I stopped at another blast door and heard the peppering of bullets, men yelling, and then silence. The door opened to reveal a bloody hallway with at least five bodies.

"Sometimes I truly hate this job," I murmured, being careful to step over the corpses. I heard something behind me and turned, seeing one man groan and sit up. His arms had been mangled with bullets and his legs also seemed injured, but aside from that he seemed fine. A miracle.

"Engaging," Athena chirped.

 _"_ _Nein!"_ I yelled, immediately jumping in front of him. "Do not! He isn't a threat!"

"Doctor, he is a Talon agent," Athena argued, and if AI's could be sound annoyed I bet she would have.

"We do not kill to kill; he has been dealt with. That is final," I said, giving a certain firmness to my voice. The same kind of voice I gave patients when they refused a certain medicine or treatment. Athena didn't answer, but the turret retracted into the ceiling. I turned to the man and he involuntarily scooched back. I had never imagined myself as threatening, but when the enemy was standing in front of you in a small space with a weapon in hand, even if she was dressed as an angel, it must be scary. I pulled my staff off my back and pointed it at him. A golden stream encased his body and his wounds began to heal. When the stream of light ended he looked at his arm in awe, then looked up at me. His expression was indiscernible through that mask but it didn't matter. Before he could react I hit him on the head with my staff and he fell to the ground.

"Why did you save him, doctor Ziegler?" Athena asked, and she sounded genuinely curious.

"One thing is to kill in defense of yourself, or others," I said as I put the staff on my back and continued towards the dining area. "Another is to kill someone who is hopeless, the minute we begin to do that is the minute we lose who we are. We must act better than that."

"…I see; I will make sure to remember that."

Who ever thought I would be teaching an AI about morals? The thought was enough to make me smile, and as the last door opened I entered the dining room. The door closed and I was completely sealed off from everyone and everything else.

"Athena, run the video," I ordered. I sat on the sofa and raised my weapon, trying to look desperate (which wasn't too hard, given the circumstances). I pulled out the communication device and tried to contact Alessandro and Hana. It didn't work, of course, but assuming Talon was monitoring our communications and some of our systems they would see me here and come to retrieve or murder me. A lone, desperate doctor attempting to call for help? Why would they resist? I stood up and made my way to one of the doors, pretending to inspect it for a release or opening.

"The video has been saved, doctor," Athena informed me. "I will keep the last part of you trying to open the door on loop, but they won't be fooled for long. Someone will realize you aren't reacting to their arrival."

"It will buy us enough time, yes? Open the door and lead me towards the hangar. And where is Genji?"

"Genji is halfway to the hangar, I was forced to send him on a detour. The Talon soldiers are beginning to take out the security turrets. As you approach the hangar you may encounter resistance."

"Understood, I'll be ready," I replied.

The door opened and once again I dashed out, running swiftly and as quietly as a could through the bases hallways. I passed the recreational room, the training room and a few dorms. A pang of sadness struck as I realized we would be forced to leave what little items we had _again._ Luckily none of us had brought much to the base, deciding to leave our things at home. Perhaps we all knew this would happen.

"Three enemies have broken through the next door, no security turrets available. Stay still and make no sound," Athena said, and I did as I was told, pausing right before turning the corner. I had to cover my mouth because I was panting now, and I made a mental note to join Fareeha, Lena, and Alessandro for exercise. I wasn't in the same shape I used to be. I heard several pounds from blast doors in the opposite direction I was, some murmurs, and then I could hear the men running off in the direction of the doors. "All clear, hurry doctor."

 _"_ _Danke,"_ I whispered, continuing my run through the next blast door and making a left. Things seemed to be going well, I was halfway there already and had encountered little resistance. "Athena, have you been able to reestablish communications with the others?"

"No, but I may have located the source of the problem," Athena answered. "It is a virus in my system, but it is heavily protected by firewalls. I cannot break these firewalls in-system, however, I can upload a sub-algorithm for you to insert into the main console. It should be registered as a new, harmless program that is not connected to me, and managed to sneak undetected through the firewalls as a simple routine message."

"I'll trust you on the technicalities," I said, stopping at the cross of three hallways. "Tell me where to go, Athena."

"Access to the main console is in the lower levels, but access to the lower levels is heavily guarded. You will have to sneak, and most likely fight, your way through."

"Very well," I said with a sigh, double checking my plasma pistol to make sure it was charged. "If you can distract the enemy in any way, it would be appreciated."

I was a doctor, a combat medic, a pacifist too…but I was also a hero and this was a title I carried with the utmost respect, dignity, and honor. Most people assumed I would not fight, or fare well in a fight, due to my profession and my views on the world. These enemies were the same, they all thought that, but I was a hero. I would not fail on my mission, no matter what. I would (as some say) fight like hell.

These thoughts went through my head as I ran through the hallways toward the elevator. Assuming Athena had a good distraction going, I'd be able to run to the elevator with little resistance. I stopped at a corner, hiding behind it. I could picture the area when I rounded the corner there'd be an elevator in the hallway, embedded in the wall. From the sound of it at least a dozen men were guarding the door.

"Athena, I'd very much like a distraction now," I whispered. On cue, music started blaring.

 _"_ _Um Gottes Willen,"_ I muttered. "Really, Athena?"

I listened in pain as… _Rick Astley; Never gonna give you_ up played throughout the hallways. It was torture to my ears, and apparently, it was also tortured to the enemy because I began to hear gunfire. They must have been trying to shoot the sound systems, which were luckily very hidden and guarded. The bullets pinged off the walls but the soldiers carefully kept trying.

"You may want to move, doctor."

"Yes, I'm going." Was my response, doing my best to ignore the music as I turned the corner and raised my weapon. It felt wrong to pull the trigger, but I wouldn't waste this advantage. All the men were distracted by that stupid song, and they began to fall to the ground. Plasma bolts after plasma bolt hit their bodies, taking them completely by surprise as I ran through the hallway. My aim wasn't the best, not nearly as good as Fareeha's or Alessandro's, but in these close quarters even I hit my marks. I was merciful, aiming for their legs or arms, but never their heads or center body masses. I managed to take half the men down, rush past the rest of them in their confusion and press the elevator button. The door closed just as the remaining men turned around and opened fire, the bullets pinging against the metal and their sound disappearing as the machine took me deeper into the base.

"No casualties and you survived," Athena chirped, and if AI's could sound impressed she would have.

"Barely," I replied, taking a deep breath and blowing a strand of hair out of my face. "But I'm glad I didn't have to kill."

"You may regret that someday; you realize this don't you?" Athena asked.

"Trust me, Athena, I live with regret from my actions already," I murmured, reloading. "Are there any more enemies?"

"Not on these levels, the security is too heavy for them to enter with their current forces. I assume they will bring more men, later on, to try and access the files, which I have already purged."

"Excellent work, Athena," Angela said. "Remind me once more what I am doing here."

"You will retrieve a drive with a sub-algorithm of mine, and then plug it into the main console. The enemies AI will see this as a routine message and let it pass through the firewall. After that, the sub-algorithm should purge the enemy's virus."

"Very well, guide me."

The elevator stopped and the door opened, revealing an extremely large and extremely dark room filled with computer hardware. It was like those rooms in the movies, the ones that the spy entered to hack. Towers of hardware, all with blinking lights and soft noises.

"Walk straight, and after the third tower turn left," Athena ordered. I did as she said, briskly yet carefully making my way forward. I turned after the third tower but everything looked the same. "Now go straight and after the fourth tower turn right." Again, I did as she said and that's when it came into view.

The main console was nothing less than a super computer, and it occupied nearly the entire wall. The machine itself seemed to be the source of a very insistent hum, and it flashed with multiple lights here and there. A heard a small pop and noticed a small disk was sticking out of the machine, just to my right. I carefully took it, making sure not to touch the bottom or top with my fingers (Hana had nearly killed me for ruining one of her games this way) and looked around. I heard the soft sound of something being ejected and saw a slot to my left. I put the disk on top and it automatically closed. For a few moments nothing changed, but then I heard the internal machinery speed up and more lights flashed.

"Enemy virus is currently being purged, mission accomplished. They are waiting for you at the hangar. I recommend you exit through the maintenance lift; Talon agents haven't found it yet."

"Roger, keep me-"

"Mercy behind you!" Athena suddenly called, her voice distorted. "Systems distorted, e-e-enemy t-t-teleportation!"

Too late, I felt the barrel of a gun against my head.

"Don't move, _amiga_ ," A female voice with a Mexican accent said. For some reason, I could smell smoke, and I heard sizzling.

"This area is sealed off," I said carefully, slowly raising my hands. "How did you make it here?"

"Turn around," The woman ordered, and I did as she said. Instantly, my mind shifted to the past. I was quite younger. Overwatch had just ended the Omnic Crisis, people still saw us as heroes. I was working in Switzerland once more, excited because soon I'd be shipped back to Overwatch headquarters when a woman had walked in. She was only a few years younger than me, but she seemed incredibly stressed and tired. She had come to ask me questions about a rather difficult…procedure. She pulled plans out of a dirty backpack she has and shows them to me, and I remember feeling incredibly worried. The procedure was something odd, putting very delicate machinery complete with an internal power source in a human body, such "upgrades" would allow the person to do things others couldn't. We had spoken a bit of this, had a small argument over the risks and such. Finally, she thanked me for my help and prepared to leave, but I asked for her name.

"Sombra," I whispered. She smiled wider at my shock, winking at me. The woman's hair was smoking a bit, her jacket had been peppered with holes and she was breathing hard. All in all, she didn't seem to be at her best.

"In the flesh, how have you been doctor?" She asked. "By the way, I'd drop the weapon if I were you."

"You went through with the procedure I see," I said, slowly bending down and putting my gun on the ground. "I also see my suspicions were correct, you had nothing good planned."

"Oh I've done plenty of good, Doctor Ziegler," Sombra argued with a smile. "Not that I'll tell you what, of course. I prefer to stay anonymous."

"How did you get in here?" I asked again, lowering my arms. "And what do you want? I can't imagine you of all people would be working for Talon."

"Well, we never did get to know each other well." Sombra shrugged, keeping the gun aimed at me. "I think you know how I got here, no?"

"Translocation, it was one of the many abilities we talked about so long ago," I answered, to which she nodded. "But translocation rips the molecules of the body the farther you are translocated, if your body is smoking then you must have come from far away, outside of the country at least."

"More like outside the continent," Sombra corrected, raising her weapon and yawning. "Translocation from that distance _is_ painful, and it makes me feel sooo tired. But I couldn't miss the party, eh? Besides look at all this software. I'm going to have a fantastic day going through the information my AI stored and sent to me before yours purged the data."

"Athena," I murmured. "Is she damaged?"

"Of course not, her core isn't in this base after all. She simply cannot speak because I fried every bit of hardware when I came in here."

"EMP?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "That was another one of the abilities we spoke of, although we both agreed such a thing would kill the host."

"Yes, well, after another year of planning and research I managed to make what I needed to use these abilities and stay alive," Sombra said. "It wasn't easy, but I kept going back to something you told me."

"I'm sure you can accomplish it if you keep trying," I said, feeling something drop in my stomach. "That's before I knew you'd join Talon, had I know I would have stopped you on the spot."

"Talon wasn't my _first_ contractor, and they aren't the only people I work for," Sombra admitted. "Anyway, we've gotten distracted. I need your help, doctora."

"My help? Am I right to assume your upgrades have affected your body negatively?"

"No, you're wrong," Sombra said with a chuckle, her free hand rose and opened a small holo-pad. "I need information, and I'm _very_ mad so I wouldn't try to be the hero if I were you." The holo-pad flickered and showed Alessandro in some basement, hiding in the corner. Hana was also there.

"You came from Brazil," I murmured, eyes wide with surprise and sudden worry. "Talon is there, with them, you knew."

"They surprised me," Sombra said, pulling her hand back. "And I translocated here. Now I want to know how your little group, weak as you are, managed to break through my firewalls _and_ who this boy is. I've never heard of or seen him before."

"As if I'd ever tell you!" I scoffed, crossing my arms. "You won't get anything from me!"

"So be it, I'm sure the data my AI collected can give me the answer," Sombra shrugged, aiming her gun back at my head but as she did so I swatted it aside with my hand and spun, pulling out my staff and hitting her hard on the side with it. She yelled out and fell to a knee, quickly rolling back to avoid my second blow and get on her feet.

"You didn't believe I was defenseless, did you?" I asked innocently, spinning my staff with practiced ease and pointing it at her. Normally this would be good, I'd be healing the person in front of me, but not today.

"Maybe a little bit," Sombra admitted, and her fingers turned into purple claws. They looked digital, they _should_ be harmless, but as she lunged at me something told me they were quite capable of slicing me to ribbons. I raised my staff to block her first blow, stepping backward time and time again as she tried to hurt me. Fighting is like a dance, you need correct footing and posture and the correct technique. Sombra was vicious and wild, seemingly uncoordinated, and although this may be troublesome for some people it wasn't for me. I took another firm step back and suddenly pushed her away with my staff, spinning and using the momentum to hit her in the face. The impact sent her into one of the computer towers next to us and as she pulled herself together I hit her in the leg, forcing her to a knee. I aimed another blow at her face but she grabbed the end of my staff and pulled me forward, rolling backward herself. Suddenly she was on the floor, and I was being held in the air by her feet. She winked at me and kicked me upwards. I lost the grip on my staff but instead of falling my wings kept me afloat.

"I have wings, remember?" I asked. Sombra clenched her teeth and got to her feet, dashing for one of our weapons. I immediately flew towards her and tackled her from behind, sending us both forward. We rolled over one another's bodies until we finally hit another computer tower at the end of the room. I heard her yell out in pain, but I could also hear the click of a gun. I sat up and grabbed the gun in front of me, and suddenly we were both wrestling for the same weapon.

"Impressive, _doctora_ , I didn't think you'd be so tough," Sombra admitted with a grin. "Guess I should've done more research."

"Sombra, it doesn't have to be this way," I hissed, groaning as I tried to keep the weapon's barrel away from my face. She was stronger than me, the gun was slowly being directed to my head. "I helped you once, I can help you again."

"You said this wasn't possible," Sombra countered, narrowing her eyes at the doctor with sudden distaste. "And you said it was _wrong_. I'm not saying that isn't true, but since then I knew we wouldn't be allies."

"That isn't true, Sombra," I argued, although it sounded desperate even to myself. "You have determination, even before Talon, you had a goal. We can help you with that, Overwatch can help!"

"Ha! You heroes can't even help yourselves, look around doctor!" Sombra yelled, sitting up so our faces were mere inches apart. "You've been gone for years, and now that you're back you run from place to place, never safe! Talon is hunting you, and I think I'll choose the winning side."

"Talon will _never_ win," I murmured angrily, my arms shaking from the effort.

"Oh you'll see, none of you will be prepared for what comes next," Sombra replied, suddenly head-butting me.

It was so unexpected I couldn't do anything about it. I felt blunt pain on my forehead and lost my grip on the gun, falling back. I quickly tried to get back up but a bullet tore through my left shoulder. I yelled in pain and fell to the ground once more. I kept my eyes closed, not daring to move. I could hear Sombra slowly standing up and…walking away? I opened my eyes and sat up with a groan, watching the Mexican walk away.

"You did help me once, despite what you said," Sombra admitted with a grin. "So I won't kill you, not today at least. Don't expect mercy next time." She put a hand on her chin and looked up, suddenly smiling wider. "Don't expect _mercy_ next time…ha! That was good, no?"

"You won't win," I muttered painfully, one hand gently gripping my shoulder. "We won't allow it."

 _"_ _Sigue soñando, doctora."_ Was Sombra's answered as she waved her hand in the air and disappeared, vanishing in a flash of a purple.

"Athena! What's going on? Is Genji ok?" I asked, looking around the room. Right, the machinery had been fried by her EMP blast. Had she meant to EMP? Or was that what happened when she translocated from such a distance.

Alessandro, Hana. Sombra had come from Brazil, they most certainly must be in trouble.

"Focus Angela, you cannot help anyone if you stay here," I whispered, forcing myself to stand up. "Athena said the to take the service lift, and it's my only option."]

With this in mind, I retrieved my staff and my weapon. Too late I realized the reason I wasn't healing. My suit was designed to heal me if I ever got injured, using the latest in nanotechnology. It was the same concept as my staff, actually. But Sombra's EMP had disabled both the suit and the staff. It's a miracle I could still use my wings, although how they survived the electromagnetic pulse is beyond my comprehension. I sighed and put the staff on my back, making sure my gun worked before making my way to the lift. My left arm was limp, and I knew I'd have to do something about the bleeding soon, but right now I had no way to fix it. I needed to make it to the hangar. As the lift slowly rose through the building I could hear gunfire getting closer and closer, and men yelling. It wasn't long before I heard Athena again.

"Mercy! You are near the hangar, but there are plenty of Talon soldiers. If you go to the east entrance Winston can retrieve you," The AI said.

"Understood, I'll be there in a minute," I replied. "Where is Genji?"

"He is by the west entrance, currently being retrieved by Reinhardt," Athena answered. "He will be fine, just get to the east entrance."

I didn't bother answering this time, making sure the hallway was clear before getting off the small lift and jogging to the sound of bullets. Now I recognized where I was, and I knew where to go. I turned right and quietly made my way to the east entrance. More than once I had to stop, pressing myself against the wall and crouching as Talon soldiers ran by. Right before I made it to the entrance some soldiers actually ambushed me, but a security turret popped out of the roof and tore through them.

"Mercy!" Winston called as I walked through the door, taking cover behind a column. "I'm coming!"

"Do hurry, Winston!" I called back, flinching as bullets whizzed past me. I heard Winston grunt as he boosted himself through the air and landed next to me, hard enough for me to stumble. He deployed his dome shield and pulled me close, careful as to not touch my wound.

"Are you ok?" He asked, worry flashing in his eyes. "Did they get the data?"

"No and yes, I'll explain later. Let's just escape first, yes?"

"Roger, hold on!" He pulled me closer and let my wrap my good arm him before leaping back towards the ship. As we landed he spun, letting the bullets hit his armored back as I scrambled into the ship.

"Barrier destroyed!" Reinhardt called, and my curiosity got the best of me. I carefully peeked out the entrance, making sure I didn't get hit by Winston as he tried to protect it, and looked for Reinhardt. My eyes focused on his large form in front of Genji's cart, he roared a mighty battle cry and boosted himself forward, crushing three of the smaller Talon soldiers against a wall before swinging his hammer around himself, taking another dozen out. He laughed heartily and roared in German. I'd need to have a word with him about his foul language later on.

"Agents, Genji is unprotected!" Athena called, and my eyes turned to see one Talon soldier with a knife approaching Genji. Reinhardt was busy, Winston couldn't make it in time, and Athena's security turrets had been destroyed in this area. I don't know what came over me, how I even managed to do it, but I raised my pistol with my good arm and fired a single shot. The next second the soldier fell down, a hole in his head. Winston leaped toward Genji and grabbed him, returning and running into the ship. I also got back in, making my way next to the ninja.

"Reinhardt! We need to go!" Winston called, and a second later Reinhardt had charged through the door and hit the wall, cursing in German from the impact.

"I'll feel that in the morning," He muttered as the doors closed, letting himself collapse on the floor. "Ah, Angela! You're wounded!"

"It's fine," I murmured weakly, leaning back on the seat. "Winston, I need you to stop the bleeding and bandage me. Once we arrive to wherever it is we are going I'll be fine. And here, try to contact Hana and Alessandro. Talon is in Brazil." I pulled the communication device out my pocket and offered it to Winston, who took it and turned it on. During this Athena had taken control of the large aircraft and taken off, we were now too far for Talon to get us. Unless they had jets which (thank god) they didn't.

"Diva, is that you?" Winston asked. "We're having interference."

 _"_ _It's me, Winston,"_ Hana confirmed. _"What's wrong? You seem worried."_

"Talon cut off our comms, we barely made it out of the base alive," Winston said, pushing his glasses into place. "Set course to Spain, or the closest area possible, and we'll go get you."

 _"_ _Is everyone ok?"_ Hana asked quietly.

"Mercy is wounded, but she'll survive. The rest of us are fine, don't worry," He answered with a chuckle. They'll have to try harder than that to defeat us."

 _"_ _I'm glad, we'll see you guys in Spain then. By the way, we got Lucio."_

 _"_ _Winston! How's it hanging?"_ Lucio called in the background.

"Oh, eh, ok I guess. We have this big mission coming up- Oh…I get it…"

"Winston! I think you should contact the others in town before they return to the base." Reinhardt reminded him.

"Oh, of course, we'll talk later Diva, you guys be safe."

I sighed in relief as Winston contacted the rest, who seemed to be completely oblivious to what just happened. Talon hadn't gone to town then, probably didn't know most of us would be gone. We could get them in a bit then head to Spain with the other three, everything would be fine. Reinhardt had pulled off his helmet and gloves, doing his best to stem the bleeding and bandage me. Before I knew it, my eyes were closing and I fell into a deep sleep.

 **That's it for this chapter! Sorry I've been gone so long, the holidays killed me and I was busy before that too.**

 **But now I'm back baby, woot woot! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter with our little battle medic~ Don't forget to fav, follow and most importantly review because your opinions always matter!**

 **Like seriously, comment your wonderful thoughts, go for it, it'd be awesome whether it's criticism or compliments.**

 **Oh, and since it was requested last chapter I will give the English translations of what the characters say from now on!**

 ** _Um Gotten Willes = For God's sake_**

 ** _Doctora= Doctor_**

 ** _Buena suerta, doctora = good luck, doctor_**

 ** _Nein= No_**

 ** _Danke = Thank you_**


	19. Chapter 19: Family Reunion

"Open the doors," I ordered. Winston nodded and tapped once on the control panel. We were all armed and waiting in the main hanger for Hana, Alessandro, and Lucio. After what just happened we didn't want to take any chances. The large doors slowly opened and Alessandro dashed in, going directly for his weapon which was in Lena's hands. He looked extremely tired and worn, much worse than when he had left us, and he seemed serious.

"I need a ship, now!" He commanded, snapping his fingers at a service bot. "Get me my armor."

"Wha- Alessandro, love, what's wrong?" Lena asked, trying to grab his arm. He shrugged her off and loaded his rifle.

"I need a ship and if anyone else has someone they love you need to get them _now_."

"Alessandro, _calm down_ ," I ordered, using the same voice I used on insubordinate. This seems to get to him and he took a deep breath, turning to us.

"We met another Talon agent, some sort of hacker, she knows of my father and probably of everyone we care about. She wants to use him to blackmail me, but I won't let that happen. You guys might want to grab a vehicle and go for your loved ones as well," He said seriously, turning to the service bot as it arrived and grabbing pieces of armor.

"We can't just go-" I began, but Lena cut me off.

"I'm taking my jet to London, then," She informed the rest with a frantic voice. "Athena, prep the jet!"

"Lena wait-"

"Torbjorn and I will take the carrier, it is slower but we shall get there!" Reinhardt informed. I turned in time to see Torbjorn giving him a nod.

"You all can't just leave; we might get attacked again!" I said in a much louder voice, gaining all their attention. "Who will defend the base?!"

"Lena, Reinhardt, Torbjorn and I go our separate ways and anyone who doesn't have to go search for a loved one stays here at the base," Alessandro answered, speaking as if the matter were already decided. He had his armor completely on and began chugging a bottle of water, which he crunched and threw to a side.

"It could be a trap," I argued weakly.

"Fareeha," He said, using the tone I had previously used on him. "I understand your concern but we will be in more trouble if they get the people we care about. Sombra seemed to be doing this for herself, not Talon, but if she decides to tell Talon of our families…"

He went silent and nobody bothered to finish his thoughts. That hacker, Sombra, would be trouble enough alone but if Talon did get the information of our families we were done for. He was right to act quickly, even if I thought it was rash. I sighed as Lena gave him a hug and dashed for the jet and then gave Reinhardt and Torbjorn a nod. The two of them returned it and made the way to their own aircraft, apparently heading together.

"I'm going with you," Hana announced. I hadn't noticed when Lucio, Hana and Lucio's plane entered the hangar but the vehicle was parked and they were already out. Alessandro immediately shook his head, walking to her and giving her a quick kiss.

"I need to handle this," He muttered quietly, looking around to see if anybody would challenge him. "I _can_ handle this."

"You can't go alone," I murmured. "Hana, you need rest after Brazil. I will go with Alessandro."

"You need to stay here and defend the base," He argued, looking a bit annoyed. "I can handle myself Fareeha."

"The base has enough people defending it, you are _not_ going alone," I replied firmly. The two of us stared at each other for a full minute before he sighed, nodding to the jet he was going to use.

"Just so we're clear, you are my eyes in the sky," He said, taking a few steps closer to me. "I'm going on the ground alone, yeah?"

"Deal, now let's get going," I said with a nod.

"Alessandro, I have a message for you," Athena announced. Everyone looked at each other, confused. Who would even manage to send him a message, when his whereabouts were supposed to be unknown? Before any of us could question this, however, a holo-video flashed to life on top of the service bot. There was a woman with dark skin, long black hair, and obvious Hindu features. She had her hair tied and was wearing a white lab coat, yet there was something in her that seemed deadly.

"Greetings," She said in a professional yet friendly manner. "You have been invited to the headquarters of the Vishkar Corporation for a tour of our facilities and a job offer. All costs for the travels have been taken care of and we have made the proper arrangements for your stay. We hope to hear from you soon." The holo-video disappeared and Alessandro simply shrugged, as if he had bigger things to worry about then a job offer, which he did.

"This woman is one of the new recruits on the list I made with Winston, right before we recalled all agents," Athena announced. "It would be in our best interest if Alessandro went."

"Tell Vishkar I'll go in two weeks, arrange the travel and times with them Athena," Alessandro immediately ordered, leaving no room for question or debate. He acted like a commanding officer and I raised my eyebrow as he spoke. "Make sure no one can track the message and see if you can make sure this isn't some damn trap."

"Be extra careful," Lucio warned, surprising me. The new member had been silent the entire time but when I turned to look at him he seemed mad, something very different than his fans saw. "Vishkar is corrupt and plain evil, don't trust them."

"We shouldn't use your real name, even if they know it," Athena said thoughtfully. "Just to be safe, so in who's name do I put the response?" Alessandro spent a few moments thinking before the ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

"Survivor," He said quietly. "That'll be my call sign too, Survivor."

/

 **Survivor's POV**

First Brazil, with everything that had happened, then Sombra during that, then my mission to rescue my father, now the Vishkar company. Despite months of training at the base, I hadn't imagined everything to hit me so suddenly. I hadn't gotten any sleep since the I passed out in Brazil, and that was half an hour at most. Yet here I was, sleep deprived, a bit banged up and about to jump into whatever danger Talon had planned. I knew this wasn't going to be an easy mission, if Sombra worked for Talon then she was smart, smart enough to realize what I was doing.

"Warning, the military outpost located in Minnesota is under attack," Athena announced. I had been expecting this news but I was still hoping for the best, hoping my dad wasn't in any danger. As a holo-video depicting the battle appeared on the wall my heart sank. Most of the perimeter seemed to be engulfed in flames, making it impossible for vehicles to enter or exit the base. The base itself was on a tall hill, on the side on the cliff's edge. I could see bullets, missiles, and several explosions across the ground and around the buildings. The marines were fighting, fighting with everything they got. But I could tell things weren't going well, for the United States marines to be losing the base meant Talon had hit them _hard_.

"Pharah," I said, standing up and grabbing my rifle. "Fly above the base and open the side door, I'm jumping out."

"Are you sure your armor can take the impact?" She asked from the cockpit.

"I did it from twenty times this height in Russia," I answered. She remained silent as the door opened and I walked towards it, looking downwards.

"On my mark," Pharah called. "Three, two, one, now!"

As she yelled now I jumped out, plummeting down towards the base. Unlike Russia, I only had a few seconds before my legs hit the ground. My armor was on but I must've fallen incorrectly because pain shot through my ankles and I stumbled forward. I rolled forward and back onto my feet, immediately raising my rifle and firing at five different targets. The five went down and, knowing I couldn't stay in the open, I ran towards the nearest building. The moment I reached safety (well, as much safety as a battlefield engulfed in a fire had) Pharah began speaking.

"Survivor," She said, using my new call-sign. "Athena says she's located your father in the headquarters. There's a heavy Talon presence, are you sure you don't want me down there-"

"I got this under control, Pharah," I replied immediately. "The marines can hold out, the minute I take out my dad I'm sure they'll leave."

"Roger."

I took a deep breath and peeked outside of the building, through a half-collapsed wall. Despite the constant gunfire from both sides, I couldn't see anyone out in the open. They must all be fighting inside the buildings or behind good cover. Was that good, or bad? Whatever the case, I couldn't just run to the building. I currently scanned my surroundings and picked a path towards the command center. Slinging my rifle across my back I jogged to the building next to this one and found the fire escape. I jumped and grabbed the metal ladder, pausing as it creaked and groaned. When it silenced I began pulling myself up onto the escape, the minute my feet hit it I dashed up the stairs, often jumping a few steps at a time until I reached the rooftop.

"Open fire!"

I cursed and my armor was immediately up, deflecting gunfire from several men. I rolled behind some sort of chimney, more like a metal tube, and as the gunfire stopped I disappeared into thin air.

"You're surrounded kid, give up!" Someone yelled. I smiled and gently put down my rifle, pulling out the pink combat knife Hana had given me, months ago. The soldiers were approaching my cover but I was already gone, walking calmly around them. They finally noticed my rifle was all that was there and looked around in confusion. I stepped right behind the closest man and reappeared.

"I'm surrounded, but you're outmatched," I whispered as I hit him on the head with the butt of my knife. He crumpled to the floor and the rest spun around. I threw my knife and hit one in the shoulder, making him spin as he pulled the trigger and hit his partners. " _Very_ outmatched."

I recovered my weapons and continued to the command center, where a majority of the Marines were hold up, including my father. I jumped over the gap between buildings and continued running without slowing down, jumping another gap before arriving at my destination. There was a pair of Talon enemies with me but I shot them before they could react. When I looked around I saw a single entrance leading towards the inside of the building, but if I didn't want to fight my way through everyone…

"Pharah, can you tell me exactly where my dad's at?" I asked, looking towards the sky to see if I could spot her.

"Athena says he is in the west wing with his squad, they're defending that side viciously but the enemy is about the breach the facility," Pharah informed me. "Can you make it to them?"

"Yeah, but I need your help," I replied with a smile. "Blow up a hole in the roof for me, just outside the west wing."

"Roger."

I made sure to keep my distance as the jet, being driven by Pharah, suddenly swerved up into the sky, higher and higher, and then began a dive-bomb towards the building. Two orange streaks left the ship and she pulled up, flying away. The missiles hit the roof and tore a hole, I wasted no time running towards it, jumping inside and ignoring the dust, rubble, and bullets around me.

/

 **Nathan's POV**

We were fighting for our lives when the explosion sounded.

My squad and I had been stuck in the west wing for the past hour, manning the three machine guns we had managed to carry here. As soon as the attack began the commander in chief had initiated the Cole Protocol: Everyone was to retreat to the command center and hold it until the techs could erase all data it may contain. When we arrived we had immediately been put here with the guns we brought, our backup was three other men from another squad. The commander had given me authority over them.

We were losing.

These men, whoever they were, had us outnumbered and outgunned. Nobody really expected to get out of this alive, we just had to defend the base until all the data was purged, and we wouldn't fail this. I thought of my son, Alessandro, as I aimed outside the window and fired a burst of bullets. We had never found him, or his body, after the attack on my town. I had hoped to find him someday, but now…

"Luis is down!" Someone yelled, bringing me back to the present. I looked back out the window and fired three more bursts, two of them hitting their marks.

"Matthew, take the gun and light them up!" I yelled, reloading. "You're covered!"

My partner Matthew immediately dashed toward the machine gun Luis had been using. Bullets missed him by mere inches but he didn't slow down for a second, tossing his rifle aside and pulling the bolt of the bigger gun. He let loose a flurry of bullets along with some very colorful language.

Then the explosion happened.

 _"_ _We've been breached on the east side! Falling back to secondary defensive positions! Shit, fire! At the door at the-"_ The connection cut off right as the entire building shook, the source right outside the door. All of us stumbled and a few fell down to the ground, I could see the door which we had blocked was a bit dented. Someone was right outside.

"This is it!" I yelled. "Aim at the door…it's been an honor to serve with you!"

"Likewise, sir," Matthew answered, pulling out his pistol. The remaining men all took cover where they could and aimed at the door, waiting for our enemy to walk through. We heard something hit the metal but the door held, then again, again, and again-

"Hold your fire!" I immediately yelled as a figure in a blue glow ran towards us. Before any of us could react the figure fired five times…missing me completely. I heard the screams of men behind me. He had _saved_ me. As the dust settled and the blue glow I finally recognized who my savior was.

"Ale….Alessandro?" I asked, incredulous. He was wearing armor I had never seen before and reloading a plasma rifle, his face was tired yet serious. I would've run to give him a hug if he hadn't looked so deadly.

"Call me Survivor while we're in battle," He answered. "Talon is here for you, we have to go _right now_."

"What? Why me? Son, where have you been? What is happening-"

"Dad!" He yelled, looking mad. "I'll answer everything but if we don't go we're both dead!"

"I can't leave my men," I replied, giving him my best "stern father" look. I couldn't begin to describe what I was feeling in this moment, knowing my child was alive, yet not knowing who was now. But I did know one thing: I couldn't leave my people.

"If you don't leave this place they'll die too; there's a good chance Talon will leave once you do. There's nothing else here for them."

"I can't-"

"Nathan," Matthew called, giving me a nod. "Go, we'll hold this position to cover you. Take the squad, I'll take charge of the rest."

"Matthew no-"

"There's no time," He said seriously, aiming his pistol at the window and firing a few times. "Go while you still can."

"Dad, I promise you can still trust me. I got this," Alessandro said quietly.

I spent five seconds looking at him, wondering what had happened, who had cared for him, what he had learned…then I locked those feelings up inside a vault and threw them away, just for now. I turned to Matthew and shoved my rifle into his hands.

"You better survive," I nearly growled, pushing him back a step. "You better survive!"

"Understood, sir, now go!" He yelled, and then, as if nothing had ever happened, he and some of the men returned to their positions and continued firing. Three more stood up and went to my side. Alessandro nodded towards the door and raised his rifle, walking out.

"Lock and load, we're getting out of here," I said, failing to hide the sorrow in my voice.

/

 **Survivor's POV**

I ignored the feeling of dread as I walked through the hallways, followed closely by my father and his men. The way he had looked at me like I was some stranger, he didn't even seem glad to see me…

 _Focus,_ I reminded myself, turning a corner and firing to rounds. A talon soldier fell down. The building had been breached and from what I could tell our exit was in Talon hands, we'd have to fight our way out. I smiled as I turned yet another corner and let loose a flurry of bullets. Five men fell before they could react.

"We are we going?" My dad asked. I nodded forward, as an answer, and continued going.

"Kid, I appreciate you saving us but we need some info here," Another man, Diego, asked.

"We're going to the main entrance, we'll get picked up there," I finally answered, raising a fist in the "freeze" signal I had seen in movies. I turned invisible and proceeded into the next room, a mess hall of sorts. It was teaming with enemies and I didn't hesitate with my attack. I ran towards the closest one and reappeared for a split second, jumping and kneeing him the face, before disappearing again. I tackled another down and then kicked a third in the crotch, firing at the three behind him. I continued like this for a few moments, an invisible monster running here and there, attacking the enemy where they least expected it and causing panic. Even when I reappeared they could hit me, I kept moving from cover and got in too close, firing or knocking them out before they could attack me. It was only when I stopped, thinking I had taken them all out, that I heard the click of a gun and spun around on one knee, but I was too slow, a bullet was fired…and the enemy fell down. I sighed and looked at my father, who had his pistol out.

"Thanks," I said before nodding outside. "Let's get out of here."

We continued through the hallways without much resistance, my dad giving me directions towards the main entrance whenever I was unsure. We were almost out when Pharah gave us the warning.

"Survivor, Talon is swarming the building now," She said. "The Marines have almost fallen, and the main entrance has been taken."

"Shit," I hissed, sighing and leaning against the wall. "We need to get out now."

"Is there any other entrance close by?" She asked.

"Not close enough," I murmured, thinking about the situation. It took me a few seconds to come up with a simple, yet effective, solution. "Pharah, blow everyone at the entrance to hell then wait for us by the barracks, right across this HQ."

"Are you sure? There are a lot of enemies outside," She reminded me.

"I'm sure, if it gets too hot then leave," I answered.

Merely two seconds later the entire building was shaking, explosions sounding outside. The tiny bombing continued for a full minute before ending. I led the other forward and, after putting down a few Talon soldiers, we ran outside. Pharah was waiting about fifty yards away…across a field of bullets. We had a few minutes at best before she had to fly away or risk getting killed. I noticed the marines were already firing at the enemy soldiers and I joined them, taking cover behind a collapsed wall.

"Go, go!" My dad yelled, waving his soldiers to the ship as he pulled two grenades and threw them, one after the other. I heard someone yell in panic as they blew up, sending bodies everywhere. My dad followed right after and I fired a few more times before activating my armor and running after them. I was almost there when I heard Pharah yell a warning, something blew up beneath me and I was sent flying. I crashed into a lamppost and fell the ground, pain firing up my back.

"Roll!" Pharah yelled. I instinctively rolled to the right, barely avoiding the lamppost which had fallen down. "Run, get to cover!"

As she spoke bullet flew past me, a couple hitting my armor, and I stumbled to my feet and ran in the opposite direction. Bullets continued to whizz past me but I kept my head low and sprayed behind me, looking for somewhere to go.

"Take a right!" My dad called out, just as enemies came out of the building in front of me. I skidded to a stop and scrambled to the right, their bullets at my heels. "Ok get inside the infirmary! It's on fire but you should be able to make it inside and get to the roof."

"Do you have, I don't know, some sort of plan?" I yelled back as I ran towards the infirmary.

"Sort of, just get to the infirmary!"

How reassuring, but I didn't answer as I made it to the infirmary and jumped in through one of the broken windows. There were a few dead bodies, both of patients and doctors, one of the doctors had a gun in his hands…they had gotten killed because I came to get my dad, was this my fault? It had to be.

"Get to the rooftop!" Dad yelled again. I snapped out of my thoughts and carefully made my way deeper into the infirmary. Smoke was everywhere, making me cough, and some rooms were on fire but I ignored this as I ran towards the roof access. Down another hallway, up a flight of stairs, then another, and here I was. I rammed myself into the metal door three times before it opened, sprawling me onto the roof.

"He's on the roof!" Someone yelled, and I turned to the door and fired all my remaining bullets.

"Jump off the cliff! Now!" Dad yelled.

"Excuse me?!"

"JUST DO IT!"

"Just _fucking kill me_ ," I yelled to no one in particular as I threw the rifle aside and ran across the roof towards the cliff's end. I heard men behind me and their bullets whizzed past me, but I jumped over some flames and off the building. My arms and legs were moving frantically, my heart was pounding, I saw the ground racing below me but I couldn't activate my shield, I was about to crash land-

But the jet raced under me and I fell onto it hard, losing my breath and rolling off the side. Before I could fall to the ground I felt a pair of hands grab onto me and heard someone say "Gotcha". When I finally got my bearings straight I realized I was hanging off the side of the ship, which was flying higher and higher, and my dad was holding onto me. His men were holding onto him so he wouldn't fall off.

"I got you," He groaned, tightening his grip. "And I won't ever lose you again."

With that he groaned and pulled me up onto the ship, the five of us falling to the ground as I finally got in. The door closed and we raced away, away from all that chaos and death Talon had given us. After a few minutes, I sat up, staring at the four marines. My father was staring right back at me. We stayed like this for a few moments as the others got up and seated, doing their best to give us some form of privacy. My dad looked like I remembered, which wasn't a surprise. He shared my brown hair, which was longer and curlier, and my brown eyes. He had a little goatee and his skin was tanner than mine. Finally, I coughed and looked away, wondering what I should say.

"Uh…sorry, if I worried you…" I murmured quietly.

"Worried me?" He asked seriously, standing up. "Worried me?!" He walked towards me and I felt my heart skip a beat, his arms lifted me up and…and he hugged me. I was very surprised as I heard him sniff as he squeezed me. "I was beyond worry! I had thought the worst had happened, we found your mother…but you and your sisters were gone! Thank God you're alive."

"Yeah…I'm alive," I murmured, my eyes tearing up. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you sooner, it's just- I- Well-"

"It's fine, it's ok," He replied immediately, adopting a stern yet caring father voice. "We're together, you and your sisters are safe. That's all that matters."

"Dad…" I gently pulled myself away from him, forcing my tears back. "I…Rebecca, Ruby, Jasmine…they…"

"What?" He asked uncertainly, but I could from the look on his face he knew. I couldn't help it anymore; tears began to roll down my cheeks as I shook my head.

"I'm so sorry, Dad, I tried my best, I'm so sorry," I said quietly, sobbing. "I tried so hard."

"No no no no," He muttered, shaking his head. He began crying and continued muttering that one word, so I did the only thing I could. I pulled him into a hug and together we held each other, grieving, crying, vulnerable. It was the first time I had accepted they were truly gone, the first time I cried for them properly, and I couldn't stop myself.

Nobody bothered us on the way back to base, back to home.


	20. Chapter 20: A Calm Morning

"What time is it?" I muttered, yawning as I sat up.

"It's high noon," Athena answered.

"Why- Why are you quoting McCree?" I asked, looking upwards.

"Lena told me I needed to work on my sense of humor," Athena informed me.

"Figures," I replied as I rolled off the bed, yawned once more, and walked to my bathroom.

We arrived late from to the base, glad to see everyone was ok and there had been no attacks. The others had already organized a defense plan, not wanting to get taken by surprise again, and Genji had shown the squad of marines to their new rooms. I had immediately been ordered to go get some sleep and I was so tired I didn't complain, passing out as soon as my head touched the pillow. I brushed my teeth and had a quick shower, sliding into some sweatpants, a random shirt, and Hana's bunny slippers (they were so comfy I had stolen them from her) before heading out to see everyone else. Before I walked out, however, I grabbed the knife Hana had given me, it made me feel safer.

I felt much fresher and awake now. My stomach rumbled loudly and I automatically went towards the kitchen area.

"Good morning," I mumbled as I walked in, opening the fridge and searching for food.

"Breakfast is on the counter," An unfamiliar voice said, I automatically pulled the knife out and aimed at the stranger, ready to the throw. She froze, gulping and holding a wooden spoon in her hand. "Ah, sorry?"

"Who are you?" I asked quietly, my heart racing.

"My name's Emily, I'm Lena's girlfriend," She answered meekly. She had long red hair that cascaded down her shoulders, a pretty face with some freckles, and was wearing jeans, a tank top and (for some reason) a green scarf. My hand went down and I raised an eyebrow.

"You're Lena's…girlfriend?" I asked again. "Lena swings that way?"

"Yes, is there a problem with that?" Emily asked, her voice a bit harsher. I put my knife way and shook my head, calming myself down and offering her a smile.

"No, it's cool," I said. "I don't care who Lena dates as long as that someone treats her right, ok? She just never mentioned she had someone so I was surprised."

"Do you normally throw knives at your friend's lovers?" Emily asked, handing me a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast.

"Uh, sorry," I mumbled, feeling ashamed. "I'm just on edge." Emily's face softened and she nodded in understanding.

Half an hour later the two of us were sitting at the table, laughing our heads off at the dumb stories Emily had of Lena. From the looks of it, you would've thought we were dear friends. Our plates were soon empty but we remained there, by ourselves. A few minutes later (as Emily was telling me another story) Lena walked in, she froze in her tracks, knowing she wasn't going to like what was happening.

"And then Lena accidentally pinched my butt-"

"I was flirting!" She complained, making Emily jump in her seat. The redhead immediately stood up, facing her girlfriend with an angelic smile.

"Uh, hi babe, Alessandro and I were just-"

"Yeah, I heard what you were doing," Lena lifted her chin up, trying to look offended. It didn't last much as Emily wrapped the Brit in her arms and laid a few tender kisses on her neck. Poor Lena quickly melted and forgave Emily. The two lovebirds sat back at the table, Lena eating some breakfast.

"Did you like the food?" Emily asked. "It's the least I can do for you guys."

"It was great, you might have to help McCree with his barbecue," I joked.

"Excuse me?" McCree asked, right behind me. My heart skipped a beat, and the two girls laughed as they saw my surprise. I snorted and nodded towards the chair next to me, which McCree took. He was dressed in his usual cowboy get up, his revolver missing.

Little by little the members of Overwatch began to trickle in, all the heroes except Hana and Lucio joined us for breakfast. Things seemed very normal until Reinhardt and Torbjorn walked in, in civilian clothes, looking like they had something up their sleeve.

"My friends, we have much to talk about!" Reinhardt roared, getting everyone's attention. "We are tired of how this group works!"

"Uh, what?" Zarya asked, raising an eyebrow. She seemed to take everything Reinhardt said as a challenge since he was the only person that could match her immense strength.

"You heard him," Torbjorn replied. "And so we will be kicking you all out with our army!"

"Your…army?" Pharah asked, clearly confused. We all were.

"Soldiers, ATTACK!" Reinhardt roared, and suddenly a _herd_ of children ran into the room armed with pillows and foam swords. A few of the older members, who now seemed to understand what was going on, stood up and followed the game. Newer members, like myself, were too confused to do much. I couldn't even stop three of the smallest ones from jumping on me and sending the chair against the floor. I was holding two of them at bay as the third tried in vain to pull my arm away, by that point I was laughing with the rest. Finally, this older girl who seemed related to the rest pulled them off me and we slowly got them settled. A pretty blonde woman wearing a turtleneck and sweatpants walked in, taking Torbjorn's hand. They began to introduce everyone, who seemed to be the children of Torbjorn and the blonde, but also the honorary grandchildren of Reinhardt. They had also brought a cat with some weird Swedish name, and I dubbed him Furball for us English speakers.

"Is that everyone? Is everyone here?" Lena asked, sitting on top of Emily's lap. Everyone else, most of them eating, were looking around.

"No, Lucio and Hana are asleep," I answered. "So is my dad and his squad. Wait, where's Mercy?"

"The doctor is in," Mercy announced behind me, making me jump out of my seat.

"Can you guys stop doing that!" I complained, turning to her. Before she could answer I pulled her into a hug. She tensed up for a second, but then relaxed and put her arms around me. "I'm glad you're ok, I heard about what you did. I'm so sorry I wasn't-"

"Hush," She ordered, sitting me down and taking the seat to my left. "We all had our jobs and you did yours excellently, we're all safe and together now. Let us focus on that."

"I know it ain't beer, but grab whatever drinks you got," McCree said, taking his glass of orange juice and standing up. "A toast, to Alessandro, for not only getting to where he is now but for warning us to get all of you-" He nodded to the new arrivals. "-and bringing you to safety. I think we can all say, without a doubt, you are a Hero and a proud agent of Overwatch." He nodded at me and took a sip.

"Cheers!" Emily and Lena called at the same time, drinking as well. Suddenly everyone in the room was cheering, yelling thanks, to the point where I could tell I was blushing and could do little but stand up, smile and nod at the rest. Angela could sense my discomfort and chuckled, standing up to give me another hug and congratulate me.

"Jesus, did I miss a party?" A man said everyone, turned to see my dad walk into the room. My heart began to race, although I didn't know why, and I found myself leaning more on Angela. He was wearing a tank top and sweatpants, his feet bear. He was fit and seemed ready to fight, but his eyes had a gentle nature to them. "Congratulations son, I'm proud of you."

How could he say that? The memory of us crying in the ship was still fresh, the knowledge that I had let my sisters die constantly on my thoughts again _, I failed my family_ , how could he feel proud? I didn't deserve that-

"Breath and calm down," Angela suggested, sitting me down and gently caressing my cheek. I instantly felt better.

"So, I guess I should introduce myself," Dad said, walking behind me and setting his hands on my shoulders. I let him, smiling a bit as I noticed everyone was quiet and paying attention. "My name's Nathan Soto."

"So that makes you Alessandro Soto?" Lena asked, her hand trying to take a piece of bacon from Torbjorn's plate. He slapped it away and she pouted. "You never told us your last name."

"Huh, I didn't?" I asked, scratching my chin. "Well, now you know. Alessandro Soto."

"Or in the field, Survivor," Fareeha said with a smirk, taking a bit of her food.

"Your new call sign, correct?" Angela asked. "Well, we used to have the tradition that each member chose their name, it is fitting you did too."

My father looked around for a free seat, looking a bit bothered that he couldn't get a chair next to me, and settled into a chair in between Bridgette and McCree. Our breakfast continued from there quite normally, despite all the new people. We joked and laughed, some spoke more than others, serious matters were brought up and then dropped again. After the chaos of the past few days, the sudden normalcy was accepted by everyone. Even my father began talking to McCree, telling him some of his stories from deployment and the cowboy listened politely and gave his own stories. I was just started to really calm down, to slip into this normal feeling, when a pair of arms wrapped around me.

"Good morning," Hana said, sounding tired. I turned to look at her and her lips pressed against mine, making my entire face go red. She raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Still embarrassed?"

"Uh, Hana," I said, leaning closer. "You realize nobody else knows about us, right?" I smiled widely as Hana's own face turned dark red and she looked up, smiling nervously. The new additions to the base didn't seem to care all too much, but the ones we had lived with previously seemed interested or surprised. My dad looked worried, which made me worried.

"When did that happen?!" Lena nearly yelled. "If you told me we could've gone on a double date!"

Half of us burst into laughter and the tense feeling left me once again, Hana copied Lena and sat on my lap. I was more than happy to wrap my arms around her waist as she began to explain everything that happened in Brazil, including our dance and our kiss. Now that we were talking about the missions more questions came, from both the heroes and the civilians. Angela told us what had happened at the base, how she had heroically saved Genji (although she said it was nothing) and everyone escaped, the kids asked all of us a ton of questions that we answered. Slowly, though, they began to leave the rest of us alone. Soon only the heroes, Emily, and my father were left. Lucio had joined us somewhere along the way and was introducing himself to the rest.

"Well, since we're all here I think we should talk about our next move," Fareeha suggested.

"Already? We just got some peace…" I muttered, sighing. Hana gave me a peck on the cheek and it was obvious on her face that she agreed with me.

"We beat Talon three times in a couple days, we need to press the advantage," She argued, moving her plate to a side. I could tell by hr face that she was entering her "Captain Amari" personality.

"I agree with Fareeha," Angela said. "I am always against violence, but we need to hurry and finish our plans while we still can."

"What exactly are our plans, anyway? Recruiting is all I know of," Hana said.

"Uh, we're still working on that," Winston admitted, taking off his glasses and smiling half-heartedly. "Recruitment is step one, after that, we'll see what to do. A good step is to win over the people again, we already got Russia on our side."

"So we'd just keep fighting evil everywhere, like the old days?" I asked, sitting straighter.

"Exactly, until the world's nations decide to fund us again and we can actually help bring peace," Lena chirped. She must've noticed the look on my face because she shared a look with Winston before speaking. "Is that…wrong, love?"

"No, it's fine just…I expected something more," I frowned, trying to find the word.

"Something we an actual objective," Hana finished, and I flashed her a smile.

"It's not straightforward," Winston agreed. "But it's what we must do if we succeed it'll be just like the old days...only this time we will make sure the peace stays."

"You'll need more people," Dad said, leaning forward on the table. "More than just a couple dozen heroes and a squad of marines."

"Yes, well, that's why we're trying to get the world to trust us-" Angela began.

"No, you need more men _now_ ," Dad interrupted. "I always respected Overwatch, and now that I'm stuck here I promise I will do whatever I can to help…but your plan won't work with Talon still around, and you can't take down Talon with a few heroes."

"He's right," Reinhardt said gravely. "They are strong, stronger than us."

"They hacked our systems already, found is more than once," Torbjorn added.

Silence surrounded the table as the implications of all this finally settled in. My dad was right, we were a couple dozen heroes against an entire organization that outgunned us, outnumbered us, and outmatched us in cyber battle. Last time could have gotten bad, we might've lost in Brazil, Angela could've died here…

"This sucks," I muttered, looking away. "He's right, we'll need a lot of people very soon. Talon's got to go if we're going to do anything."

"We can handle Talon," McCree said with a chuckle. "They're a lot, but if we cut off the heads…"

"The highest ranking people we know are Reaper and Widowmaker, maybe Sombra and I doubt they're running things," Hana said. "So how do we get the leaders of Talon?"

"We focus on what we know," Genji said, sitting cross-legged on his seat. "Sombra knows a lot, perhaps we could catch her and…obtain information. I don't think we should try to capture Reaper."

"Agreed, he must die," Fareeha answered, perhaps with some bitterness. "He's been killing older Overwatch members, he fought Commander Morrison the day Overwatch fell, yes? He's a monster."

"Ok ok, one thing at a time," Lena exclaimed, making a "time-out" gesture. "We need to focus on recruiting, at least for a little while more. Who is the next on our list?"

"My brother, Hanzo," Genji said, surprising everyone. The only person that didn't seem surprised was the doctor, who looked away to hide the anger on her face. I saw it, though. "I've visited Hanzo a few times, and he is capable of good. Alessandro and I must go to see him soon."

"Why me?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Hanzo wants…proof, proof that I can be responsible," Genji admitted, knowing how petty that sounded. "You are my proof."

"How is my son _proof_ of your responsibility?" Dad questioned, crossing his arms defiantly. He didn't want to let me out, not again.

"Genji is my master," I explained, nodding at the ninja. "I'm his pupil, remember when I fought the Talon soldiers? Most of that was thanks to Genji, he's also taught me swordplay."

"Yes, and Alessandro is ready to face my brother," Genji concluded, sounding a bit proud. "Not to sound childish…but I am eager to see him defeat Hanzo and prove to my brother how silly he is being."

"Hanzo is a world class terrorist!" My father nearly yelled, standing up. "Alessandro is _not_ going to fight him!"

"Woah woah woah!" I said, just as loud. I had Hana slide off of me and stood up, facing my father. "Did you not see what I did yesterday? I saved you! I saved you and your men! Everyone here has trained me in some way and I know I can go out there and fight anyone, especially if they got my back!"

"You're too young to be thinking about fighting or killing people," Dad insisted, turning on me. "You're just a kid and I won't let you go risk your life again, you barely made it last time!"

"Dad, I literally stopped the Second Omnic Crisis with these guys, I got Lucio out of Brazil! Hell, I even held off Widowbitch twice! Sure, I had help each time but I'm not alone now either!"

"I don't like your tone or your language, you have one chance to keep quiet," Dad said, his voice dangerously quiet. This normally would've worked on me, but a lot has changed by now. I smiled just a bit and crossed my arms.

"Or what? You'll punish me?" I asked, raising my chin.

"I am your father and you should remem-"

"Enough!" Angela yelled, making my heart jump and surprising everyone in the room. I felt her hands on my shoulders but, unlike my dad, it just made me feel calm and more resolute. I kept silent as she spoke, glaring at my dad. "Mister Soto, I understand your concerns as a father but Alessandro has proven himself to be a capable soldier and hero. If he is willing to go, and if he is needed, then he shall go and that is final."

"Thank you," I replied.

"Who do you think you are?" Dad asked, clenching his fists. "You had my son and just kept him, that is kidnapping! Then you train him and just send him out to fight your fights? If it weren't for Overwatch Talon wouldn't even _exist_ -"

"That's enough!" I yelled again, louder. "Dad I am over age, this is my choice and you can't stop me, that's final."

My dad was breathing hard, heck, so was I. We stared at each other for a few moments and he slowly looked around, taking in everyone's expressions. Everyone, old and new, looked hurt or angry by his comments. Emily glared at my father and gave Lena a peck on the cheek, Winston was half-heartedly picking at his peanut butter, Zarya looked ready to stand up and knock my dad out. He let out some sort of angry growl before storming out, leaving us all alone. Angela pulled me back onto the chair but remained behind me, forever supportive.

"I'm sorry about him, guys," I said with a sigh. "I don't know why he's so violent, sure he's my parent but still…"

"No, I understand him…but that doesn't mean he acted correctly," Fareeha said. "He just needs some time to adjust."

"Reminds me of Ana," Reinhardt murmured, mainly to himself. "The day Fareeha announced she'd be joining the army; we were all so proud but she…she was furious. I never saw her like that."

"Well, I guess I don't blame him then," I murmured, slouching on my seat. "I think I could use an extra fifty hours sleep, these three days have been too much. Did you guys have to go through all this on a daily basis, back when Overwatch was a bigger thing?"

"Not always…but yes, our work got to us," Torbjorn admitted. "That's why the organization gave us such great vacations!" He smiled widely, giving Reinhardt a knowing look. "It was on one of these vacations when I met a special woman."

Torbjorn broke into a very long and very detailed story of how he met his wife in some mountains in Sweden, how she was a hiker from Norway and had gotten stuck on the mountain with him. This broke any remaining tension and we all listened with humor until he got to the part when they returned home and got down to business. At that point Fareeha had covered Angela's cheeks, both Winston and I looked uncomfortable, and Reinhardt had excused himself to go train for no apparent reason.

All in all, it was a pretty calm morning.

 **So, this is another chapter done! And just a day before chapter 19? Wow, that's gotta be a record!**

 **I know I've been gone for another, what? Three weeks? Not much I can do about it, but as always I'm still writing this fanfic! I've been paying attention into your comments and (to the few that do) messages, I'll get to answering when I can!**

 **Ok but there's some more interesting things to talk about, OC's! I've gotten a few OC's to add to the story from friends and a reader (Thank you guys!) and I thought it was a good idea to get more, I want you guys to have some participation in the story! If anyone has an Overwatch OC, or wants to make one, get them ready! Just please remember not to make them to OP, and remember they won't be having a very large role within the story either, they're side characters.**

 **Well, that's it! Don't forget to fav, follow and REVIEW because that is the MOST important thing.**


	21. Chapter 21: A Calmer Day

"You're getting slow, Faree." I smirked and spun low, knocking her off her feet and then stepping on her neck to keep her down. She was in a tank top that revealed most of her muscular waist and sweatpants. I had my shirt off (Fareeha really knew how to make me sweat during training) and I was wearing shorts.

"Or you're getting good," She answered, smiling at me. I offered my hand, lifting her up after she took it.

"Oh I _know_ that isn't the truth," I replied quietly, smirking. "A little angel caught your eye?"

The two of us turned our gaze to behind Fareeha, where Angela was working out. She was close enough to get a good look, but far enough that we she wouldn't notice us. She was wearing a black shirt, shorts and running shoes. Next to her was Genji, who was helping her out. After her last battle she had decided she needed to get back into the shape she used to be in, if only to perform better in battle.

"She looks good when she works out," I continued, eyeing Fareeha. The soldier's cheeks turned pink and I chuckled. "Called it, you have a crush on the doctor!"

"Shh!" She hissed, covering my mouth. "Don't speak so loud!" I swatted her hand away and rolled my eyes.

"I'm not that dumb, Faree, so how long has this been going on? You two did get close pretty fast now that I think of it," I said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Wait, are you two a thing? This a secret?"

"What? No!" Fareeha immediately said, very loudly. Her cheeks were full-blown red and she was pulling at the edge of her tank top, probably feeling hotter. "I used to have a silly crush when I was a child, but now…" She sighed, shaking her head. "I shouldn't meddle with my colleagues."

"Well, Overwatch isn't officially back, meaning she isn't really a colleague…" I murmured, trying to keep my voice casual but being a bit suggestive. "Hana and I are together, right? Someone in Overwatch had been with Ana, that's how you were born."

"Please, do not speak of that."

"Sorry," I answered quickly. "Look, I've _seen_ the way you're looking at her and I also see how she sticks close to you, how she always asks for your help at the lab, you should go for it."

"Please, she sees me as some sort of child," Fareeha argued. "I met her when I was a child."

"You're just denying the truth." I put a hand to my chin and stared at the doctor and the ninja. After a few moments an idea came up. "But I'm your wingman, I'll help you out here, yeah?" I cupped my hands to my mouth. "HEY ANGEL- GAH!"

Fareeha had me in a headlock in a split second, pinning me to the ground. I coughed and pulled at her arm, to no avail, slapping it several times so she would let go. Only when Genji and Angela arrived did Fareeha let go, forcing a smile.

"What's going on here?" Angela asked, sounding worried. She helped me up and rubbed my back as I coughed, trying to get some air.

"Fareeha got me by surprise, I shouldn't have lowered my guard," I answered with a croak. "I was calling you to see if you'd lend me Genji, I need to sharpen my sword fighting."

"I am currently training doctor Ziegler, can that not wait?" Genji asked, not in a rude way.

"Fareeha can train the doctor!" I replied before the Egyptian could answer. "Besides I'll be seeing Hanzo soon, I need all the training I can get, _right_?" I narrowed my eyes at Genji and, although I doubt he knew what Fareeha felt, he understood something was up and nodded. Angela tried to play it cool but I saw the nervous brush of her hair and the glance towards Fareeha's muscular midsection. Before anyone could say something I pushed Fareeha towards Angela and had them leave, saying I'd need more space for sword fighting.

"Do you wish to explain why you are so intent on swordplay?" Genji asked, a hint of humor in his voice.

"Ah, I think if I do Fareeha will grab me, and this time she'll snap my neck," I joked, stretching my arms above my head. "Besides, I could use the practice."

"Is that what you Americans call hooking up? Miss Amari is hooking up with the doctor?" Genji asked, crossing his arms. My smile told me he had discovered my nefarious plans and he chuckled, snapping his fingers. Immediately two swords formed out of thin air and fell into our hands. They were virtual, of course, but we'd still feel the pain from them. I spun mine in one hand with ease, smiling at my sensei.

"Maybe this time I'll beat you, eh?" I asked, gripping the handle in both hands and getting in my stance, sword raised high. Genji chuckled and held his sword in front of him with one hand.

"A warrior should never underestimate his enemy, for his arrogance means defeat," Genji answered.

"Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you over my- SURPRISE ATTACK!"

I lunged at Genji, bringing my sword down in a deadly arc. He raised his own in both hands and easily blocked it, pushing me back. I stumbled back and spun, using my momentum to deliver a strong blow. Genji easily sidestepped and countered, and I blocked his sword. My smile was gone now, replaced by utter seriousness. We traded a few blows, our swords sparking each time. Finally, Genji jumped and spun, kicking me square in the face. I went flying and rolled over the floor a few times before landing on my feet, running back at him. I ducked under his sword and elbowed him in the gut, rolling to the side and slicing at his legs. He jumped up and over the blade, and myself, landing right behind me and putting the thing against my neck.

"You are still too slow," Genji said, but I smirked.

"Not quite." I pushed myself back against him. The blade left my neck for a second and I fell to the ground, escaping it. Before Genji could recover I spun and successfully made him trip, trying to stab in the stomach, he raised his blade to block it, holding me in place.

"Very good, I was almost disappointed," Genji muttered, pushing against me. "But today is not the day."

Genji grunted and forced me back, jumping to his feet and kicking me swiftly in the stomach. The air left my body and I hit a wall with a grunt, falling to the ground. Genji spun his sword twice and pretended to sheath it, but it merely disappeared from his hands. Mine also disappeared.

"Well, looks like I'm not beating Hanzo yet," I muttered. He offered a hand and I took it, letting him pull me up. I heard a slow clapping and turned to see my dad walking towards us, wearing jeans and a turtleneck. Despite yesterday I did my best to look casual, although I could tell Genji was a bit bothered by his presence.

"Impressive, you weren't kidding when you said you could handle a sword," He said, a bit awkwardly. "He, uh, seemed to slam you pretty hard there."

"Nothing Angela can't handle," I chirped, patting my bruised stomach. "And nothing I can't handle either."

"Well, if you two are done and you're still up for it, care to train with me?" Dad asked. He still sounded awkward, but the offer was serious enough. Still, I turned to Genji with a questioning look.

"I will judge the fight, if Alessandro wishes it so," Genji said, his voice a mask of calm and peace.

"Well, I guess we can spar," I shrugged as if it didn't matter. "You just, ah, you know I won't be holding back, right?"

"Give your old man some credit," He said, smiling a bit. "I have some moves."

/

"Uh oh, what do you think that's about?" I asked quietly, nudging Angela. The doctor frowned, rubbing the back of her head.

"Well, it looks like they're going to train together," Angela replied. "We should not worry about that, it's his father after all."

"Please, Angela, you remember what he said at the table the other day," I muttered, narrowing my eyes. "I don't like that man."

"The feeling will pass, he was just mad and now you're just mad at him," Angela said. I was about to answer that _no_ , I didn't like that man, when I heard the doctor grunting and turned to see her stretching, her arms high above her head, her entire self on display. I quickly looked away, forcing myself to seem as casual as ever. I shouldn't be looking at the doctor anyway. "Anyway, what's next Fareeha? We aren't done yet, are we?"

"You sound excited to keep sweating," I muttered, turning to her with the ghost of a smile.

"Working out can be enjoyable," She answered with her own dazzling smile, and I felt my heart skip a beat. She frowned, waving her hand in front of my face. "Fareeha? Fareeha why are you smiling?"

"Uh…" I gulped, shaking myself out of it and forcing a more serious face. I turned around before she could notice my cheeks burning. It took only a few moments to compose myself, just as I'd do on a battlefield. I smiled at the thought, the peaceful doctor put me on edge as much as an enemy would. "I'm fine, we should get back to work. Tell me, doctor, have you done weights?"

Ten minutes later we were in the weight room, all alone except for the ticking of a clock. Angela seemed skeptical, but she had nothing left to do. She could leave, but she wasn't doing that either. So with a friendly smile I guided her to the bench and had her lay down. I grunted as I pulled off some of the larger weights someone had left here (probably Zarya, that women had monstrous strength) and put on two smaller weights of thirty each, would that be too much?

"Ready?" Angela asked, her hands gripping the bar above her. Fareeha smiled and nodded, her hands hovering an inch from the bar in case Angela needed help.

Angela had always seemed rather delicate to Fareeha, at least since she had joined Overwatch. The doctor was always smiling, always had that kind voice and was always cheerful. She had been warned by the older agents to not be fooled, Angela wasn't some delicate flower, but she couldn't help but see her like that. At least, she couldn't help that before. Right now Angela seemed oddly determined and her face was serious and hard as a rock, her arms pumping up and down and her breathing very controlled. Each time it went down she breathed out, every time it went up she breathed in, doing better than the soldier had expected.

Indeed, she had been severely wrong to believe the doctor was delicate.

Finally, Fareeha grabbed the metal bar, easily and gently pulled it out of the doctor's hand and putting it back where it belonged. She frowned as she realized Angela was huffing, one hand on her stomach as she laid on the bench.

"You did too much," Fareeha finally stated. "I'm sorry, I should've stopped you."

"Don't…" She took a deep breath, sitting up and turning to Fareeha. Her skin gleamed with sweat and she had to wipe her hair off her forehead. "Don't be sorry, I knew I should've stopped."

"Then why didn't you?" Fareeha questioned, gently sliding a finger down Angela's arm with a worried expression. Angela laughed at the gesture which was sweet yet silly.

"A little exertion won't kill me, Faree," Angela murmured as she stood up. "Don't worry."

"You're avoiding the question," Fareeha murmured, her lip turning up in a small smile. Angela's ears turned pink and she simply returned the smile.

"If you really want to know…" She said quietly, apparently relenting. "It's very dumb, but I was trying to impress."

"Impress?" Fareeha asked, obviously confused. Angela simply winked and turned around, walking away and leaving a stunned Fareeha standing there in middle of the gym. That's when she heard laughing and turned to see Alessandro on the ground, panting, as his father crossed his arms and shook his head.

/

 **Survivor's POV**

"Jesus Christ," I yelled, laughing again as I grabbed my side. "Where did you learn that?"

"I _am_ a soldier of the United States, kiddo," Dad answered with a smirk as he offered a hand.

"You got lucky," I replied, taking his hand and letting him pull me up.

"Did I? You said you wouldn't hold back," He answered. I narrowed my eyes and he laughed. "Yeah I know you did; you were never good at being harsh."

"Not with people I care about, but the rest?" I sighed, my thoughts turning towards the day I lost everything, when I had killed those Talon soldiers. "I do what I have too. And dad?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you put the gun in the _cracker drawer_?" I demanded, crossing my arms. His laughter boomed across the room and I couldn't help but crack a smile. Before he could answer I heard footsteps behind us and turned, seeing Fareeha. She seemed a bit flustered but was very good at hiding it.

"You guys done working out?" I asked, fist-bumping her. Her cheeks flushed and she turned to the exit, confused.

"Yes, she did better than I thought," Fareeha murmured. She seemed to shake herself out of her thoughts and turned back to us three, smiling coyly at me. "Are you three done? I thought I saw you on the floor just now."

"Dad got me good," I admitted, shooting him a joking glare. "But I think two beatings is all I can take today."

"You think you're ready to face Hanzo?" My dad asked, the worry in his voice evident. But this time it didn't seem like he wanted to stop me.

"I'll never feel ready," I answered earnestly, shrugging. "I never felt ready for any of the stuff I've done but I managed, same goes here. When I fight Hanzo I'll just give it my all."

"You _are_ ready," Fareeha said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You've fought people just as dangerous before and survived, you'll be fine."

"Remember, when we meet my brother there won't be any death," Genji said. "You will just prove to him you've learned from me and, if he honors his promise, he will join us."

"And if he doesn't honor his promise?" Dad asked, turning to Genji.

"He will."

"But if he doesn-"

"So when are we going anyway?" I interrupted, eager to avoid another fight between my new family and my dad.

"In a few days, make sure you are well rested before we go," Genji advised.

"Sounds good, now if you guys don't mind I'm gonna go do some things," I was already taking a step back as I spoke. In reality I was just going to see Hana and take it easy.

Now _this_ was a calm day.


	22. Chapter 22: Family Feud

"FUCK YOU!"

"Hey, I got that power up _fair and square_ -"

"Suck my exhaust, Hana!"

"You're going to feel exhausted after I kick your butt!"

"IF YOU USE THAT BULLET BILL I WILL DESTROY YOU!"

"Muahahaha, enjoy losing skrub!"

I groaned and dropped my controller to the ground as Hana beat me…in Mario Kart. She cheered and raised her arms high, laughing, as I pouted and crossed mine. The score was 5-0 now, she was winning all the races. I sighed as she did a little victory hum and set up another race but I didn't pick up the controller. She had been sitting on my legs, her back against me as I sat on a beanbag, but now got on her knees and turned around. I had to look up at her and I felt my heart skip a beat.

She was so _beautiful._

She wore sweatpants and a t-shirt, her hair wasn't even fixed, her pink makeup gone for now. Only I saw her like this. When we were just friends I had seen her like this once but now that we were closer it had turned into something more common, and I appreciated the trust she had to show herself like this to me.

"I'm a mess, nerd," She said, smiling slyly and crossing her arms. She must've known what I was thinking.

"A hot mess, for sure," I answered with my best smile. She snorted but her cheeks turned light pink.

"God I'm so glad this happened," She suddenly murmured, her face turning serious. Before I could react her hands gripped the sides of my face and she leaned down for a soft, long kiss. I basically melted in her hold, my hands gently going to her waist as I began to kiss back. Hana leaned forward, pushing me down against the beanbag.

 _She's really good_ , I thought giddily, my face beginning to burn as she pulled away for a second only to continue kissing me lovingly. _This_ had been my life after rescuing my dad. I'd train, I'd rest with friends, and every day I'd see Hana. Sometimes we'd just game together, other times we'd walk the base, the past two days we had both been busy so we'd just meet up at night and fall asleep together…and sometimes we had days like these, we'd hang out and ended up making out. Why was she so good at kissing?

"Hana," I murmured, pushing her only an inch away from me. "Just out of curiosity, how many guys have you been with?"

"You're…you're kidding, right?" She asked, pulling back. I felt my face burning with embarrassment now.

"Hey, it's an honest question!" I argued, still holding her.

"Why would _now_ of all times seem like the best moment to ask that!" She yelled, flinging her arms back, but she wasn't angry, she seemed amused.

"I just thought, wow! She's a really good kisser, where'd she learn this?" I replied, my voice rising with panic. I just _had_ to ruin this, didn't I?

"You…" Hana covered her mouth and I heard her voice crack. She suddenly burst into laughter, long and hard enough she ended up holding her stomach and laying against me again. I was about ready to let her fall to the ground but she sat back up, rubbing a tear from her eyes.

"You done?" I asked, annoyed.

"You are the cutest thing ever," She answered sweetly, one hand going through my hair. "And, to answer your question, I've only been with one person in my life."

"Wait, really?" I asked, my voice incredulous. "Not that I'm complaining but you're _Hana Song_ , you're the one and only Diva! I'd expect guys and girls fawn over you all the time."

"Well, you're not wrong," She admitted with a smirk. It disappeared and she sighed, laying against me again. Her voice turned quiet. "I do have people fawning over me a lot, I see it in the comments of every live stream, when I go to tournaments and conventions, on the street too. That's the problem, people don't _mean_ it. So many are just creeps, telling me what'd they…what'd they do to me, others just like my money or fame, the only good people feel like they can't possibly be with someone as popular or famous as me, so they don't even try."

"Hana I-"

"That's why I like you," She interrupted, hugging me tighter. "You knew who I was but you treated me like any other friend, you didn't treat me special, or try to take advantage of me, or act creepy. You were just…you."

"So, you've liked me since we met?" I asked jokingly. She snorted, flicking my nose.

"I liked you as a friend, but then you started getting flustered, and you'd stay here with me, and with Brazil, well, I knew you couldn't resist me anymore."

"Excuse me?" I asked, embarrassed and slightly offended. "You fell for me!"

"Please, I started getting you flustered first," Hana argued. "And it _worked_."

"You had to try and win me over, I did it without trying!" I complained. Hana's eyes looked upwards, probably thinking about this. She giggled and kissed my cheek.

"Fine, you won my heart first," She whispered.

In that moment I think I figured out what love was. She trusted me enough to show me her vulnerable side, to show me how much some things bothered her, something I _know_ her family, fans, and friends didn't know of, and I trusted her just as much. I sighed contently and passed a hand through her hair, down the side of her face to her chin. I slowly raised her eyes to mine.

"Don't worry about the creeps, those that want your fame, or whoever," I whispered. "I'll never be like them. I lov-"

"I love you too," She finished, and I swear her eyes were tearing up as we both shared another, more loving, kiss.

 _"_ _Oi loves! Quit snogging!"_ Someone said, knocking harshly on the door. I groaned, leaning back.

"Leave us be Lena!" I yelled back.

 _"_ _Can't love, we need you in the sitting area,"_ She replied, her voice now worried. _"Seems like Angie and your dad got into a fight."_

"Jesus Christ…" I muttered, passing a hand over my face. "Can I catch a break…?"

"Come on, we'll have plenty of time together, right now let's stop your parents from killing each other," Hana said, standing up and pulling me to my feet. I raised an eyebrow at her as I opened the door.

"My parents? As in more than one?" I questioned.

"Please, we know how you feel about Angela, you even called her mom before you passed out that one time," She said with an eye-roll. "She's fine with it, she probably feels the same, so stop trying to hide it."

"Wait I _said_ that?!"

Lena guided us through the hallways back to the living room of the base, Hana was walking next to me with her hand in mine. As we got closer I started to hear…nothing. I expected some yelling, some voices, _something_ but there was nothing going on. Lena walked right into the room but I hesitated, peeking my head through first. McCree was the first to greet me with a nod, standing by the sofa and watching over Angela, who had her "combat medic" expression on and was facing my father, who had his fists balled and a tight expression. Genji sat behind him on a chair, apparently meditating, but I knew he was just ready to grab my dad if things got violent.

That was dumb, I knew my dad wouldn't resort to violence here.

"Well, I see things got tense here," I muttered as I walked into the room, Hana followed me of course. My dad turned to me and his eyes flickered for a second over Hana before returning to Angela.

"Tell me, _son_ ," Dad began. "Who is this woman?"

"Dad you know who she is-"

"Just humor me."

"She's Angela Ziegler, renowned doctor, a former member of Overwatch," I answered, crossing my arms and taking a step forward. "Why?"

"And who am I?" He asked, turning to face me.

"You're…Nathan Soto," I replied carefully. "United States Marine, winner of the purple heart, my dad."

"Exactly, I am your dad" He repeated, turning to Angela. "He is my responsibility, not yours."

"He has been under _our_ care," Angela answered harshly, waving around to the rest. "And although I'm not saying we are as close as you are to him, we care for him and work with him, we know what we are doing."

"You don't have that right!" Dad yelled, waving his arms up.

"What are you guys even-"

"Be quiet!" Both of them said at the same time, turning to me for only a second before facing each other again.

"No!" I yelled back, surprising everyone. I walked in between both of them, giving both a glare. "What the _hell_ is going on here?!"

"Alessandro, I'll ignore your tone and-"

"Dad, I love you," I interrupted sharply. "But you are new here, ever since you came fighting has happened, so I am going to ignore _your_ tone and ask again: What the hell is going on? What is your problem with them? Because I can't imagine them doing something to you every day."

"You're just going to assume your own father is the problem, and not these people?" He asked, his voice dangerously calm.

"Being my dad doesn't mean you can't be a problem," I replied, keeping my voice even. "And because you are my father I want to fix this, not cause more problems. So are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Doctor Ziegler seems to think she is responsible for you," He finally stated. "Enough to ignore what I think and want to do."

"Doctor Ziegler is responsible for all of us," I said, raising an eyebrow. "She knows what we can and can't do, she says who's ready or capable for certain missions because she knows who's ready. If you think she shouldn't be responsible, then you're wrong."

"But they can't send you on these missions!" Dad nearly yelled again. "You're too young! You shouldn't be doing this!"

"What mission am I going on?" I asked with a sigh, turning to Angela.

"I was telling your father how we were sending you to Vishkar." The doctor answered, crossing her arms.

"You can't send him to them! Vishkar is so bad the U.S army was told we might fight them!" Dad argued.

"Then that's exactly why I should go," I countered, earning everyone's silence. I let go of Hana's hand and walked to the center of the room. "We know Vishkar is bad news if they're this big a threat I just got a ticket straight into their headquarters."

"It has to be a trap," Dad complained. "I mean; why would they invite you? How'd they find you?"

"He's got a point," I muttered, turning to Angela. "Do we know how they contacted us?"

"Winston contacted Symmetra," Lena chirped. All eyes turned to her but she just smiled. "We informed her what we were doing, gave her a way to contact us."

"Then she must've learned of Alessandro due to his recent work," Genji added, his voice pensive. "It isn't rare for Vishkar to try and recruit individuals that show certain…capabilities."

"But Vishkar's evil."

We all turned to the door where Hana was. Standing next to hear in a yellow shirt and green cargo pants was our newest recruit: Lucio. I don't think I had ever seen him look so angry before, not at any of his concerts or interviews at least. He seemed wary now, older, beaten.

 _He fought a war against Vishkar in Rio De Janeiro._ I thought. _He's not all happy and upbeat, he's suffered just like we have._

"Lucio later today I would like to speak with you, I think you could help us organize this mission," Angela said, and he nodded.

"I just want to say that, if he goes to see this Symmetra chick, be careful," Lucio warned. "Vishkar has eyes everywhere, and strength. Once you're in their territory you'll always be under watch, never safe."

"I won't be under watch, I'll be _Overwatch,_ " I replied, a wide smile spreading on my lips. Lena high-fived me and I think everyone else groaned. Lucio laughed and shook his head.

"Here I am trying to be serious and you say that!" He laughed again and shook his head.

"But in all seriousness," I continued, glad I had broken the tension. "I'll be extra careful; we'll have to plan this carefully too."

"This is why I keep saying you shouldn't go," Dad murmured, but the moment had passed. We had forgotten the fight and it was decided I'd go. He couldn't do anything about that now.

"Well I am going," I answered calmly. "And I'll be ready, I'm sure Angela, Winston and the others will have a plan."

"But training always helps!" Lena suddenly cheered before my dad could answer. "Come on, Al, we haven't gone in a while. Hana, you don't mind if I borrow him, right?"

"Just don't go for too long," Hana answered with a smirk. "We still have business to finish."

"I mean I don't have to go-" I didn't get to finish my sentence because Lena grabbed the back of my shirt and started dragging me away, choking me in the process. Hana blew me a kissed before leaving the room and I saw dad follow her out.

 _Uh oh,_ I thought before the door closed.

 **/ That's it for this chapter! Didn't take too long this time, eh?**

 **As always, don't forget to follow, fav, share (ok this one's new) and most importantly REVIEW because what you say is the most important!**

 **Thank you all for your support, it's literally the only reason I'm still working on this, you're great! See ya next time.**


	23. Chapter 23: Disapproval and Planning

"Hana, could I _please_ have a word with you?" Nathan asked me again. I sighed and turned around, making my annoyance obvious. He had followed me right out of the hallway and I had been ignoring him for a bit now.

"If you can stop calling me Hana and call me Diva, sure," I finally answered, crossing my arms.

"Isn't your name Hana, though?" He raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. "Whatever, Diva, so can we talk?"

"Go ahead."

"Uh, right here in the hallway…?"

"Did you want to talk to me or not? And make it fast," I said.

"Ha-" He sighed and corrected himself. " _Diva_ , I don't want to be on bad terms with you. I want to talk like respectful adults."

"Like you _respectfully_ talked to Angela?" I snorted. "Just get to the point."

"Fine, be like that," He murmured. "I don't approve of you and my son being together."

"I- _Excuse me_?!"

"I don't like the fact you two are together," He repeated.

"I understood you the first time," Hana muttered. "Why are you trying to ruin everything?"

"What do you mean?"

"Please!" Hana whipped her arms back angrily. "Isn't it obvious? You fight with us at every turn, you're going against our relationships. Him with Angela, him and I, and I saw you go interrupt his training session the other day!"

"I'm not trying to ruin anything," He answered calmly. "I'm just looking out for my son."

"Did you ever think that maybe your son doesn't need that?" I questioned. "He even told you, you can't keep looking out for him."

"He's only eighteen, he's still a kid, and I _will_ take care of him no matter what," Nathan replied in a whisper, his voice tight. "And right now all you people are bad for him."

"Why are we bad?"

"I've looked at the records," Nathan hissed, taking a step closer and lowering his voice. "He's been shot more times than I have, he's been in the damn medical wing more times than _you_ have, and you're an actual soldier! Why has he gotten these many injuries? Because he's working for you people."

"He…he knows what he's doing," Hana answered, but she sounded unsure. Was it their fault? He had agreed but who would've said no to their rescuers? To other heroes? If it were someone else, or in a different circumstance, would he have gone home?

"He's now a criminal and he's being hunted," Nathan continued. "He obviously isn't safe and his well-being isn't being taken into account. You care for him? Then let him go so he can be safe."

Hana suddenly couldn't say anything, all her anger was gone, filled with doubt. Nathan stared her down for a few moments before sighing and turning around. He began walking away but before disappearing from Hana's sight he looked over his shoulder.

"I just want what's best for the last member of my family. I don't think anyone can blame me for that."

With that, he walked away, leaving Hana alone with her thoughts.

/

 **Alessandro's POV**

"Lena, where are we going?" He asked for the millionth time, letting out a puff of annoyance.

"Hasn't Angie taught you anything about being patient?" Lena asked, flashing a smile. Today the brit was wearing jeans, a tank top and her aviator jacket above it. As always, her hair was a mess, to top it off she was wearing some shades.

"You're a dork," Alessandro muttered with a smile. "How long has it been since we hung out, just you and me?"

"Too long," She replied, playfully slinging an arm around him. "I missed my skydiver!"

"Ugh, please don't remind me," He groaned, covering his mouth and pretending to barf. "I don't think I'll ever get on a plane with you again."

"Don't be like that!" She pouted, her shades fell down enough for him to see her sad puppy eyes. "Go for a flight with me soon, please?"

"…How does Emily ever win an argument when you have that face?" The boy muttered, pushing her glasses back up. "If I don't have to jump off, sure, I'll fly with you again. Something tells me I won't have an option, though."

"Whaddya mean?" Lena raised an eyebrow. "And pick up the pace!"

"I mean-" He yelped as Lena suddenly pulled him along, pretty much speed-walking now. "Soon enough we'll have more missions to go on, all of us will have to fly all over. Next time we fly it won't be for fun."

"There's always time for fun." The pilot looked to the sky, her eyes probably tracking a lone aircraft. "That was motto back in the old days, y'know? Between Jack's soldierly attitude, all of our missions, the threats we had to face…well, I think everyone needed some fun. Work work work, and you'll break."

"Tell me about the old days," He asked quietly, slinging an arm around Lena. She sighed and let herself lean on him, their pace getting slower. For a silly moment Alessandro wondered if Hana would be jealous, but no, not even Hana would think something was going on. They didn't have that kind of chemistry, they had no romance with them.

"I don't know much about the beginnings, but when I joined things looked so promising for us," She began. "Angela was so impressive, breakthrough after breakthrough, helping so many people. Jack stood tall and led us without a doubt, always ready. Captain Amari, our dear Ana, took good care of all of us." Alessandro didn't what happened to these heroes, all of them were before his time. Still, he didn't interrupt Lena to ask. She was in her own world. "Reinhardt looked much younger, but not much has changed. He's always been this honorable, strong and dependable, even after Ana died. So much as changed, though, Al, so much…"

"Well, some of it's been for the better," I said, sounding lame. Lena gave me questioning glance as if even she didn't believe this. "What I mean is, some things are good now and will get better. Hana is with you guys, Lucio now, Genji and his brother will soon be together and hopefully get along, you have Emily, Torbjorn has his family, right?"

"I guess some of those things wouldn't have happened without Overwatch falling," Lena agreed, smiling just a bit. "Like Emily, I never would've met her while in service. And Genji does seem much happier now, he was too bitter before. Plus, we have you too, I wouldn't change that for anything. Don't think anyone would."

"See? Some things did work out well enough," I offered a broader smile, although my cheeks were burning from the compliment.

"Still, I wish things were as before," She whispered. "I miss Ana, and Jack, and Reyes, our other partners, Amelie…"

"Amelie?" I questioned. "That sounds…french."

"Yeah, well, got any ideas what happened to her?"

The name was French, and the way Lena spoke that name…she was sad, but also bitter. That sudden fire of competition had lit up in her eyes. It was a mix of emotions all boiling under the surface. If this Amelie could cause such a stir within Lena she had to mean a lot. But what had happened to her? Anger, bitterness, competition…

"No way," Alessandro with wide eyes, turning to face the brit properly. "No way _she_ can be an old Overwatch agent, impossible!"

"No, she wasn't," Lena agreed. "But Amelie was, or rather, Amelie was related to Overwatch. She was one of the agent's wives."

"So…she was or she wasn't?"

"Amelie was part of Overwatch, even if it wasn't official, we all knew her and treated her as one of us," Lena explained. "But Widowmaker isn't Amelie, Amelie is gone. Widowmaker is only a part of Talon."

"So tell me about Amelie, then," I suggested. I was still confused and curious, but I didn't want to talk about Widowmaker and upset my friend more.

"Oh, Amelie was great!" Lena suddenly cheered, smiling widely. "She was a ballerina, not a soldier, but she was incredibly smart. She and Angie would walk for hours about this or that invention, she'd help train the new recruits, show them that you had to know more than fire a gun. She helped train me after my accident."

"Sounds like you two were close," I stated. "She sounds cool too."

"She was a civilian who could kick a soldier's arse, cool doesn't begin to describe her," Lena agreed. "She helped wherever she could, since she had to be at the base so much because of her husband, and- Oh, we're here."

"Uh, what?"

I looked ahead of us and just now realized how far we had gone. We stood in front of an abandoned building, behind it there seemed to be an airfield. Everything was closed down, there was a sign too. Private property. I frowned, taking a step forward.

"An old Overwatch base?"

"Exactly, come on," Lena chirped. "I know the back way."

I didn't argue as Lena led me around the right side of the building. She pulled the zipper of her coat up and blinked to the wall, then blinked over the chain-link fence covering the rest of the property.

"Come on, slowpoke," She joked.

"Not all of us can blink!" I complained, looking around the area. I spotted a rusty dumpster and went to it, pushing it against the fence. I climbed it then ran up the wall, kicking myself off and over the fence. I landed with a grunt but when I stood up I didn't see Lena anywhere.

"Yoo-hoo! Over here!" She called, far off by another building on the airfield. This building was smaller and had all the windows boarded up. Maybe it was an old supply room? It was too small to be a hangar. I ran over to Lena, who kept rushing me, and once I arrived she blinked to the roof.

"I'm getting jealous of your abilities," I muttered, taking a few steps back before dashing towards the building. I sprang up the wall, almost to end and tried to grab the edge but my hand fell a few inches short-

"Gotcha," Lena grunted, grabbing my wrist. After a few seconds, she pulled me up onto the roof. I followed her to a small metal hatch in the roof which Lena opened. She jumped in and a heard her feet hit the ground a second later. Without hesitation, I also jumped into the dark room.

"Lena I can't see anything, _re oscuro_ ," I whispered. I felt like whispering.

"I love it when you speak Spanish," She answered cheerfully. A light clicked on and, after blinking for a few seconds, I saw around the room. It was small and dirty but definitely used. A few cushioned chairs sat on one side, an old holo-tv glowed on the wall, there was a small fridge and even a gas heater. A little hideout, right next to our hideout. "Ta da! My little home away from our other little home, cozy isn't it?"

"Very," I murmured, looking around some of the dustier objects. "But why'd you bring me here?"

"We need to talk, love." She sounded serious. I turned to see her eyes burning with that fire from before.

"Talk about what?" I asked although I knew what…who she meant.

"Talk about how we'll take down Widowmaker."

 **That's it for this chapter! Anyone else missing Tracer as much as I was? Hm? Yeah?**

 **In a couple chapters I'll start adding the OC's to the story, if anyone else wants to send me one do it now! You can comment it but messaging me the details is better. Remember it must have age, nationality, weapons, appearance and gender, I'll also remind everyone now that OC's (for the most part) will not have any SUPER important roles in the story itself, but it'll be great to use them!**

 **Welp, that's it from me. As always, don't forget to follow, fav, share (ugh yes please spread my cringy fic to others) and (most importantly) REVIEW because that is what I most value!**

 **Stay strong, Survivor~**


	24. Chapter 24: Family Reunion

"This is Hanamura castle?" I asked quietly, hiding in the darkness of a building.

"Yes," Genji whispered, right next to me. "This was once my home."

A full moon was in the night's sky, lighting up Hanamura Castle below it. The castle, for something this old, was more impressive than the skyscrapers some cities had. Smaller, sue, but it's ancient architecture, décor, and history just made it more interesting to me. We weren't too far now, but Genji thought being cautious was the best course of action. Hanzo probably took out all the guards when he arrived but more could come, or worse…

"Come, it is time," Genji ordered, quickly and silently dashing forward.

But I wasn't nearly as focused. My conversation with Lena was still on my mind, even though we had it yesterday. Her plan wasn't impossible, it was fairly simple actually, but the others wouldn't like it…

"Survivor," Genji hissed, waving me forward. I blinked and followed him, just as stealthily.

 _Focus_ , I thought.

My armor and gun had been repainted black, so had Genji's robotic parts. Together the two of us made our way through the small town of Hanamura, avoiding anybody we found and heading towards the castle. He climbed through the main gate and I followed easily, vaulting over the top and landing in the main courtyard.

"Hey, this is private property!" Someone yelled and I looked up to see five guards running towards me. Just regular guards, nothing special.

"What do we do?" I whispered to Genji, only to realize he wasn't there. "Thanks, sensei."

I let the first guard dash past me, grabbing his arm and spinning him right into his buddy. His baton flew into the air and a quick series of punches and kicks I knocked both men to the ground. The baton began to fall and I jumped, drop-kicking the third guard. I raised my hand and the baton fell right into it. I blocked the fourth man's attack and swept him off his feet, throwing the stolen weapon and hitting the fifth guard in the head. He crumpled to the ground.

"Who are you?" The fourth growled, standing up. He pulled a phone out and I smirked, shaking my head.

"I'm Survivor, pleasure to meet ya," I replied, kicking him in the chin and sending him flying upwards. He fell to the ground with a grunt, trying to stand up but falling down again. He didn't get back up.

"Stop wasting time," Genji called, standing by an arch to the right of the courtyard, leading towards the actual castle.

"Says the man who left me the guards!" I protested quietly, running after him.

Together the two of us made our way to the castle, climbing through a window on the side. Once inside I could see there was one big room, a gallery for tourists? At the end of the room was a large banner with Japanese writing, sitting in front of it was-

"Hanzo," Genji murmured, almost with awe.

"He said he'd be here," I muttered as a reminder. "Guess this is it."

"Survivor," He said, turning to me. "I won't let Hanzo injure you too greatly but…I apologize for forcing you into this."

"Hey, you've done a lot for me," I replied with a smile. I put a hand on his shoulder and nodded. "If I can help you get your brother back, then I don't mind. Let's do this."

"Thank you," He whispered, or at least I thought he did. Before I could be sure he jumped down to Hanzo's level and, after a moment, I followed.

"You two lack stealth." Hanzo stated, his voice deep and obviously annoyed.

"Where's the fun in that?" I asked with a smirk, immediately disliking this man. Of course, I would dislike him, what brother does what he did to Genji? Not a normal one, that's for sure.

"I see you've at least taken to Genji's attitude," Hanzo murmured. He didn't move from his spot, kneeling in front of the banner. I now noticed there was a sword with a blue hilt in front of him, an antique?

"Genji's one of the most serious men I know," I answered casually, unslinging my rifle. "And a better person than you'll ever be."

"Silence," Genji ordered, giving me a look. Or he would've if his mask wasn't on. I rolled my eyes and looked away, doing as told. He turned back to his brother.

"Hanzo, do not delay this. Every moment we spend here increases the danger," Genji warned. "I'm sure you've heard."

"Yes, Overwatch is returning," Hanzo answered, his voice full of scorn. "The organization that destroyed our clan, the people that you helped."

"Hey, man, your clan was evil-"

Genji raised a hand and I shut up again.

"But you told me this, Genji," Hanzo continued. "Indeed, I have heard of Russia, Brazil, it sounds like Talon is disliking your return."

"I concur, which is why we need people like you, brother," Genji insisted. "I offer you once more, without any fight: Join us, help us make the world better."

"No, prove yourselves," Hanzo barked, finally standing up and turning to us. He had a bow in hand and a quiver full of arrows.

That seemed to be the end of the conversation. Hanzo walked to one side of the room and, once Genji nodded, I walked to the opposite end. The Shimada glared at me, gripping his bow tightly. I winked at him and smiled.

"No killing," Genji said, standing a bit away. "Or I _will_ intervene."

"If I lose to this _child_ ," Hanzo spouted. "I will join you. If I win, this is the last we see of each other."

"Can we start?" I asked coolly, clicking the safety off my rifle. "I'm starting to get bored."

"Very well…begin!" Genji ordered, jumping away.

I grinned and aimed my gun at Hanzo, immediately firing. He rolled to the side and dashed up the wall, vaulting off and firing two arrows. I side-stepped the first and crouched under the second, firing again. He fell to the ground and spun, pulling out two more arrows. I was ready to dodge them but didn't expect them to _curve_. I yelped as one grazed my cheek, the second hitting my rifle. It sparked and smoked so I dropped it.

"Sensei, you could've warned me of that…" I muttered, pulling out the knife Diva gave me.

"I'm surprised he didn't speak to you of all he knew," Hanzo admitted, taking aim.

"Doesn't matter, I don't need tips," I replied, dashing towards the Shimada.

Hanzo aimed for my feet and fired. The arrow blew into several and I jumped high, twirling in the air and barely avoid them. I landed in front of Hanzo and our weapons clashed. He used his bow similar to a bow staff, striking blow after blow. I grabbed his weapon and forced him close, the two of us shaking as we tried to take the bow. He finally spun and tripped me, nocking an arrow and firing. I rolled out of the way and got to a knee. He spun his bow and sent me flying against a wall.

"Nice move, for an old man," I muttered, getting to my feet.

He was immediately on top of me with a vicious swing, I ducked under it and tackled him. He dropped his bow and grabbed me, the two of us wrestled for a few moments before I kicked him away and jumped up. He was going for his bow but I threw my knife in front of it, stopping him.

"Scared of some hand-to-hand, Hanzo?" I challenged as I put my fists up. He huffed and turned to me, raising his palms.

"You underestimate me," He said. "Has my brother taught you nothing?"

"That's what you think, but Genji taught me well," I answered as I ran to him.

The two of us met like a whirlwind, a mix of different attacks which we kept blocking or dodging. Hanzo was very, very good. Each blow was filled with enough power to move the air. One fist would pass by my head, almost too fast for me to realize another one would hit my stomach, then a third would trip me. I fell on my back and growled, activating my armor. I jumped up and kicked him back, descending on him with barrage of punches. He tried to counter, but even his strength couldn't do much against my armor. He side-stepped a punch and grabbed my arm, spinning around me and pulling an arrow out of his quiver.

"What the-"

Before I could react he smashed the arrow onto my armor. I spun and kicked him away but an electric shock spread across my armor. I yelled in pain and fell to the floor, my armor disappearing and my body taking the brunt.

"As I said, you underestimate me," Hanzo said, picking up his bow and taking another arrow from his dwindling supply.

I shuddered on the ground, my body unable to move. Hanzo seemed unsure of what to do but nocked another arrow anyway, taking aim. My hand slowly, painfully, reached back.

"Do you know why I did what I did to my brother?" Hanzo asked, taking careful steps to me. "My brother was _useless_. Our father had hopes for us, both of us, and Genji destroyed those hopes. He spent his days drunk, playing games, with women." The ninja spat, clearly disgusted. "He was a man-whore; he was a disgrace. Then my father passed away and what did my brother do? I hoped he would grow, he would take the weight of leadership with me and help our clan."

"You…killed him," I groaned, getting on all fours and shooting him a glare.

"I did what the elders, and myself, thought was necessary. He was useless, he was dangerous."

"You…were…his brother!" I pulled the arrow off my armor, stopping the electricity. Hanzo, surprised, quickly shot an arrow but I threw the one in my hand and they clashed midair.

Before he could react I tackled him to the ground, punching him the face. Anger surged through me, anger like never before.

"You two are brothers!" I yelled, punching him again. "I would do _anything_ to have one more day with my siblings! And that's what you do? You kill your family?"

I grabbed my knife from the floor and spun it once, bringing it down. Hanzo grabbed my wrists and glared at me. The two of us stared at each other angrily, our hands shaking in an effort to push the blade one way or the other.

"You know nothing about loss, about family," Hanzo grunted, clenching his teeth. "Genji would have been our doom.

"I lost my mother, lost my three sisters and almost died for them, then I nearly died to save my father," I hissed, pushing the blade to his neck. It was so close, just a few more inches. "You don't understand loss, Hanzo, you don't understand family and if you keep to this path you never will."

Hanzo's eyes went wide and he yelled in fury, I yelped in surprise as he moved his head and let me stab the ground. He grabbed my shoulders and threw me backward, away from him. I rolled once and landed on my feet, turning around. I saw Hanzo nock his last arrow and begin to glow blue.

"RYU GA WAKA TEKI WO KUROU!" Hanzo yelled, launching forth two blue, giant twin dragons.

Time seemed to slow down, the dragons were coming at me slowly. They were twirling in the air in front of me, seemingly bigger as they approached but there was a tight space between the, where Hanzo could be seen. A hole.

My armor was broken, but I still gripped my knife tightly and dashed to meet the dragons. Each step brought me closer to them, my heart raced with excitement, fear, probably both. I slowed and finally jumped, spinning in the air and in between the dragons. But the space was too tight, their bodies washed over parts of my body and a burning pain I never felt before rushed up my body. I began to fall and, as I did, I threw my knife at Hanzo. It hit his bow and forced him a step back. I landed and rolled, getting to my feet and pulling the super pistol out.

He just stared at me, holding the pistol at his head. His eyes were wide with surprise, the grip on his bow was light, he just stared at me and the only indication of life was his chest which rose a bit then fell.

"You…" Hanzo murmured. He took a deep breath as if gathering strength. "You win. Genji has, indeed, taught you well."

"I-I…what?" I asked, confused. I felt dizzy and tired. I looked around and just now saw Genji next to us, sheathing his blade. "Did you-"

"No, I did not interfere," Genji cut in. "As Hanzo said, you have won."

"I…I did!" I smiled widely and laughed, letting my arm fall. Despite feeling like passing out I cheered and high-fived Genji. I heard a cough from behind me and turned around. What I saw surprised me enough that I got quiet.

"My brother, and you have proven yourselves. You both have grown stronger. Genji, you have grown stronger," Hanzo said. "What is your name, child?"

"For now, you can call me Survivor," I replied respectfully. I holstered my pistol and watched as Hanzo got to his knees, offering me the sheathed sword with a blue hilt.

"I once carried this sword into battle with honor," Hanzo explained, looking down. "But after I- After I did what I did to my brother, I realized I had none. I've regretted my actions for years and, despite all this, I am glad we are back. I hope you may forgive me, Genji, and I hope you will carry this sword with honor and carve your own path through life, Survivor, a path better than mine."

I was at a loss for words, I could tell Hanzo was completely serious. He did regret what he did years ago, and he believed I could do better. After a moment I kneeled as well, gently taking the sheathed blade from his hands.

"I will carry this with pride, Hanzo," I replied, looking up at him. "But your path hasn't finished. We can carve a better path for ourselves, and this world _, together_."

I stood up and so did the ninja, only to be embraced fiercely by Genji. I could tell Hanzo was trying to hold back tears, and even with his mask, I'm sure Genji was doing the same. The two brothers, after this long, seemed to forget all their anger and sorrow towards each other in that moment. I realized I didn't hate Hanzo nearly as much as I thought now.

"Well well well," A raspy voice said. I immediately spun to see Reaper standing on the bridge inside the room, facing us. "What a lovely family reunion."


	25. Chapter 25: 3 vs 3

"Seriously, can't we have _one_ mission without you barging in?" Survivor complained, walking to his partner's sides. Reaper chuckled malevolently, raising his shotguns.

"Gabriel, stop!" Genji barked, raising his short sword. Hanzo aimed his bow and Survivor just sighed, looking around for his knife.

"Three against one? Hardly fair," Hanzo said. "Retreat, demon."

"Who said I was alone?" Reaper asked smugly. A click could be heard to the left and the group turned to see Widowmaker by the stairs, looking through her rifle. Hanzo aimed at her now.

"Ok, two versus one. Not bad odds," Survivor murmured nervously, looking around. He had a bad feeling about this.

 _"_ _Que dijiste, vato?"_ Sombra asked, appearing from thin air to the right, at the entrance to the porch. She smiled cockily and blew a strand of hair away from her face.

"I called that!" Survivor yelled, turning to face her.

"Where are the rest of your men?" Genji asked, focused solely on Reaper.

"I wanted this to be between us," Reaper replied slowly. "My men seem to be…incapable."

"Damn right," Survivor whispered with a grin. "And so are you guys."

"Talon could restore your family's empire," Widowmaker said to Hanzo, the two still aiming at each other. The message was obvious: Join us.

"But at what cost?" Hanzo asked.

"Enough talking already! I'm bored. _Aburrida,_ " Sombra complained, to which Survivor smiled.

 _"_ _Alguien esta lista para perder, eh?"_ He challenged.

"Enough talking," Hanzo ended. "Let us through or we will cut through you!"

The six of them went silent. Reaper and Genji, Widowmaker and Hanzo, Sombra and Survivor all stared at each other. Suddenly, as if ordered to, the six of them sprang into action.

Reaper fired at Genji and he deflected, dashing to meet his former commander. Widowmaker and Hanzo both let loose, their first shots clashing in the air. Hanzo rolled to the side and climbed up the wall. Sombra winked at Survivor then disappeared, only to reappear tackling him. He fell back and rolled to his feet, grabbing his knife in the process and throwing it at her.

"Just die!" Reaper said, spinning and firing again and again. Genji was playing a very dangerous game of tag with his enemy, circling around him as he deflected and dodged, finding any opening to attack. Reaper growled in anger as Genji sped forward in a flash of green and cut his ankle, then again.

"You should be dead, Gabriel," Genji answered, throwing shuriken. Reaper dissipating and floated up towards the second floor, looking down at Genji.

"I _am_ death…and death does not die," He growled.

Genji climbed up a column to meet him, shotgun spray painting the wood below him.

Hanzo was having worse luck against Widowmaker. The assassin had met him on the third floor on the left, the two were engaging in a deadly dance. A combination of spins, attacks, and gunfire could be seen. Hanzo swiped with his bow, Widowmaker gracefully spun away and fired at him, but he dodged it by an inch. She fired again and he rolled to the staircase.

"See through the dragon's eyes," He murmured, firing an arrow. Suddenly he could see Widowmaker all in red, carefully approaching the entrance of the stairs. He aimed at the opposite wall and fired. His arrow hits and sprouts into several arrows, all speeding out the entrance towards Widow. The woman flipped back and raised her gun, dodging and blocking arrows. Hanzo sprung out and tackled her off, sending her to the first floor. Halfway there she launched her grappling hook and flew upwards, kicking him in the face, landing, then kicking him back again.

Sombra had disappeared, leaving Survivor alone in the center of the room. He pulled out his new sword, holding it high and slowly turning a circle, looking for anything that might give her away. A little distortion in the air? The sound of footsteps? He closed his eyes and stood still, listening intently.

Suddenly he spun 180 degrees, slashing at thin air. He heard Sombra yelp and she appeared flipping back with only a bit of blood falling. She fired at him and he deflected the bullets easily, charging her. She simply disappeared again.

"You think you're strong?" Sombra asked behind him, kicking him on the side. He spun and then felt three claws slice at his back. "You think you can beat us?" He growled and turned around once more, only to get punched from the side and knocked down. Sombra appeared in front of him, aiming her gun at his head.

"You think those words make you tough?" He asked, spitting to the side.

"Just give up already, sheesh," Sombra said, rolling her eyes.

He rolled to the side as she pulled the trigger and spun, tripping her, immediately dropping his sword and grappling with her for the gun. Sombra fought, well, like a vicious cat. She shook wildly, punching, clawing, and Survivor had to pull his neck back more than once from her purple claws. Finally, he pulled the gun away and she kicked him off, the two stood and faced each other, him pointing the gun at her this time.

"Why are you doing this? You don't seem like the kind of person to take orders," He asked. She slowly walked to his right, his gun following her movement.

"Well, you don't know me," Sombra answered, but she seemed very amused. "Nobody does."

"I see why you're called _Sombra_ then." He took a step forward and she stopped moving, her claws ready to strike. "It's over, disappear and I'll spray bullets everywhere, move and I'll shoot. Just give up."

"It's over?" She laughed, pretending to wipe a tear. _"Por favor!_ Look around, _Alessandro."_

Hesitantly, he did so. He realized with a chill he had been ignoring the sounds of battle. He first spotted Genji being held high by Reaper, a smoky hand around his throat.

"I know everything about you," Reaper growled. "Your moves, your mannerisms, all of it. I was your _commander_ ; did you think you could beat me?"

Before Reaper could react Genji pulled out his short sword and slashed at his wrist, freeing himself and retreated to the center of the room, several meters away from Sombra and Survivor. A few moments later Hanzo fell to the floor, rolling behind a column as Widowmaker fired.

Before Survivor could react something disarmed him, kneed him in the stomach, knocked him off his feet and pushed him to the ground. He felt an arm around his throat, beginning to cut off his air.

"You have no weapons or armor," Sombra whispered into his ear. "Your body is half burned, it's a miracle you're feeling so well as if to fight…and maybe at full strength you'd win, but not like this, no. _Yo tengo la ventaja."_

Survivor grabbed onto her arm, trying to suck in some air but Sombra pressed tighter, her other hand on his head so he couldn't head butt her. He realized she was right, his battle with Hanzo had him disarmed and wounded. But they couldn't lose, couldn't afford it. He looked at Reaper and saw him slowly advanced, saw Widowmaker smiling a bit as she fired and almost hit home.

That's what he realized what had to happen.

"Y-you're wrong," He choked out, one hand reaching for her gun. She pressed harder and he gagged, nearly blacking out, but he managed to grab the gun.

"You can't even shoot me, just give it up," Sombra hissed.

"Wrong, I can," He answered with a smirk, pressing the barrel of the gun against the right side of his stomach. "It'll just hurt me like a bitch."

 _"_ _Estas loco-"_

Both Sombra and Survivor yelled in pain as he pulled the trigger and a single bullet tore through them. Both of them fell to the ground.

"Genji, Hanzo!" He yelled, clutching his wound. "Switch it up! I got Reaper! Hanzo has Sombra, Genji has Widowmaker!"

"What- You can't fight like-" Genji began.

"JUST DO IT!" He yelled, picking up my sword and dashing to Reaper.

Genji bared three shurikens and threw them at Widowmaker, her bullets hit two and she dodged the third. Without hesitation, he slashed up to her level. She fired and he deflected her shots, slashing at her. She dodged it as well but this time there was no competition: Genji's swordplay was much faster than Widowmaker's bullets and kicks. Genji cut her leg, then her waist then kicked her into the stairs entranced where she finally rolled down. He tried to follow but her rounds hit the wall by the entrance, keeping him away.

Hanzo had turned to Sombra, his confidence only bigger. The bullet had grazed her but didn't go through her, like Survivor. She reloaded her weapon and sneered at the archer, disappearing. Hanzo fired an arrow upward and suddenly he could see her outline, despite her invisibility. He pulled another arrow and pretended to search for her, waiting for her to get close.

"Ha!" He cheered, spinning and letting the projectile fly. It cut Sombra's cheek and she reappeared. Before she could fire he was on her, a mix of kicks and hard hits from his bow. He slammed her upwards, spinning and hitting again, then breaking her nose with her palm. She let out a short cry of pain the clenched her teeth, glaring at him.

Survivor slid underneath Reaper's first two shots, spinning low and cutting at his legs. He got to his feet and the sword clashed against his shotguns, the two of them struggling to push the other. Reaper easily began forcing Survivor to a knee, his shotgun's barrels slowly pointing at the boy's face.

"Smart," He murmured. "But even if Widowmaker and Sombra are handled, _you_ can't kill me."

"Is that a challenge?" I asked quickly, grunting with effort. "Because I'm up to it."

"Look at you, you're roadkill," Reaper hissed, dissipating. Survivor stumbled forward in surprise and spun, only to have a hand wrapped around his neck. "You are wounded, you are weak, your soul is mine."

He would have made a joke but he realized Reaper was being literal. Survivor could feel it, something in him was being pulled to Reaper. Each second he felt weaker, more disconnected from the world. His sword fell to the ground and as his arms grew limp, his eyes felt heavy.

"Yes…" Reaper purred, pressing against his throat tighter. "Give it to me."

"What…are you?" I asked, forcing myself to grab his arm, to try and fight it.

"I am Death," He replied quietly. "And this is my curse. Now die."

Survivor stared right into his mask and saw two red orbs glowing where his eyes should be. He had the sense that Reaper was smiling at that moment. He decided in that moment that Reaper wasn't human, he could be sure of that, this thing had to be a demon of some sort.

"Survivor!" Genji yelled, but Widowmaker appeared behind him and hit him with the butt of her gun, knocking him down. He rolled and raised his sword as she fired, but was unable to go to Survivor's aid.

"No…" Survivor murmured.

He was not dying, not today, not when there was so much to do. He couldn't die yet; he _wouldn't_ die yet. Not to this demon.

"Die," Reaper repeated.

"NO!" Survivor yelled.

As if someone had given him an adrenaline shot, energy unexpectedly filled his body. His grip on Reaper's arm grew strong and his eyes opened, seeing with clarity. His pain disappeared, replaced by burning anger.

"What?!" Reaper leaned back instinctively, surprised. Survivor, with a strength he shouldn't possess literally wrenched Reaper's hand open and fell to the ground. He tackled the demon and punched him furiously. Once, twice, three times. He intertwined his fingers and raised his hands, bringing them both down on Reaper's mask with a furious yell.

"Die," Survivor hissed, breathing hard. He realized the mask was cracked and Reaper wasn't moving.

"That…shouldn't be possible," Reaper murmured, his body slowly beginning to disappear. "I will…kill you."

He disappeared into the air, leaving Survivor kneeling on the floor, all his energy spent.

 _"_ _Araña!"_ Sombra called, glaring at Survivor. _"Vamonos!"_

Widowmaker seemed annoyed but quickly grappled out of a window disappearing into the night. Sombra disappeared and didn't reappear to any of them. Everything was quiet and still.

"How did you do that?" Hanzo asked, his voice in awe. After a moment Survivor realized they were staring at him.

"Do what? I just fought him," He answered tiredly.

"You're burnt, your armor is broken, your weapon was gone-"

"You have pieces of armor in you," Genji added, cursing in Japanese. "We'll need Mercy to perform surgery. But you shouldn't be able to move, let alone fight."

I frowned and looked at my body, realizing they were right. The armor had, in some places, gotten stuck to me, but besides that I had nothing. Sombra's cuts were gone, my burns from Hanzo's dragon, I was fine. I felt incredibly tired, but I wasn't too injured.

"The burns are gone," I announced. "Cuts too, my-" I froze, just now realizing the weirdest thing of all. "My gunshot wound is gone. It's completely gone."

"What do you mean it's gone?" Hanzo asked.

"Get over here and see for yourself!"

The two of them made their way to me and were just as surprised to see me healed. When I tried to pull the pieces of the armor off it wouldn't budge, apparently stuck to my body. I frowned and gripped it harder, holding my breath.

"I don't believe that is a wise choice," Genji warned.

I ignored him and, with a grunt of pain, pulled the armor off. A sharp pain shot through my chest and arms, but it left quickly. I threw my armor aside and sighed in relief. Once I looked down again I realized the only wounds I had were from where the armor had stuck to me. Nothing else, and no scars.

"I don't understand, is this the kind of technology Overwatch possesses?" Hanzo questioned, looking around.

"No, his armor isn't capable of that healing. Even our most advanced machinery needs more time," His brother replied. "We don't have time to ponder this. Our allies should be on their way."

"Pharah, Mercy and I will meet Symetra," Survivor remembered, yawning. "You two will go back to base."

"Yes, but if you feel your wounds-"

"I feel fine, honestly," Survivor answered with a small smile. "Good, in fact. I think I'll sleep on the way there."

With that, Survivor fell on his back and closed his eyes. Hanzo tensed, as if worried, but Genji raised a hand and chuckled.

"Let him sleep, he is well," Genji said, approaching his pupil and gently picking him up in his arms. "He will need his rest for the next mission."


	26. Chapter 26: Job Interview

"So now I'm going to meet...Symmetra," I muttered, cracking my neck.

"Yes, and please, no fighting," Doctor Ziegler said. "I don't understand how you healed so quickly, but you should be cautious. Your injuries were severe."

"I'm fine, Angie," I replied with a smile.

Although, if I was honest, my healing bothered me too. I was glad I had healed, it had allowed me to defeat Reaper, but how the hell did I even do that? So far, nobody had an answer, and there was no time to figure it out. Fareeha and Angela had picked us up in the jet, making a beeline for Vishkar's headquarters in Asia. Our destination happened to be in Symmetra's country of birth, India and was one of the hardest places to access in the world.

Yet I had a personal invitation to go there.

"We're going in there with you," Fareeha called from the cockpit. "After everything that's happened we're not letting anyone travel alone."

"Thanks, Faree, I appreciate it," I called back.

"We're approaching Vishkar," Anglea informed us. "Remember, no weapons. Not even a concealed weapon. There's no point."

"Can't I take my knife?" I asked, whining like a child.

"Take a knife and I'll ground you," The doctor answered sarcastically.

I chuckled as we began to go down, gently losing altitude. The three of us were dressed as civilians, no armor, nothing. We'd go in, talk, leave. Simple as that. I stood up and walked towards one of the few windows inside the jet, my jaw going slack at what I saw.

Vishkar's headquarters were like a castle. No, not a castle, several castles all put together. The building was enormous and seemed like a small town itself. It was obviously made of light, from the famous light architects Vishkar was known to have trained. Most of the structure was made of pure light, yet you couldn't see anything inside it and it wasn't blinding. Cars drove through streets that cut through the property, ships flew here and there, both landing and taking off. People could be spotted everywhere, working, walking, talking, or simply enjoying themselves. It looked like a paradise.

"We've got permission to land," Fareeha said. I felt the ship stop moving and gently begin to ease toward the ground. "There's a security detail waiting to escort us, so don't panic."

"Roger Dodger," I murmured. The aircraft landed with a slight bump and the three of us walked towards the ramp.  
"Fareeha, leave it," Angela ordered sternly. The soldier huffed and pulled a pistol out, leaving it aside. Angela gave me a look then faced the ramp which had started to open. Quickly, quietly, I grabbed the knife Diva had gifted me and hid it under my shirt, sheathed.  
"Welcome," A Hindu voice said. Angela prodded my back and I began to walk forward, towards Symmetra.

She had dark brown skin, amber eyes, and wore a lab coat. Her dark hair was tied into a ponytail of sorts, her hands were clasped behind her back. She smiled politely, although without emotion, and offered one. It was metallic white, going from the shoulder down to her hand. Her entire arm was a prosthetic much like McCree's. I gave her my hand and we shook.

"I suppose you know who I am," I stated, looking around. Several guards with light armor and guns stood around us.

"Indeed, we know who you are," Symmetra admitted. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'd say the same thing, but I'd like to know how you found me first," I replied, crossing my arms. "As far as the world knows, I'm dead or missing. And it's not like I was important enough to warrant a search from Vishkar."

"It's a...complicated situation," Symmetra said. "All will be explained in due time."

"I'm sorry if I sound rude, but I'm not moving another step until you explain. Things have been dangerous and I'm not taking chances." I stared Symmetra down and I could barely see, from the side of my vision, Angela step closer to me. I felt Fareeha put a strong, protective hand on my shoulder. Symmetra sighed.

"You haven't done well at concealing yourself," The light architect began to explain. "Vishkar always keeps an eye out for exceptional individuals. You, how do you Americans say it? You fit the bill, my superiors wish to talk to you."

"What do you mean, fit the bill? What do they want him for?" Angela questioned, standing in front of me now.

"I'm afraid that information is for Mr. Soto only," Symmetra announced. "This meeting is exclusively for him, after all."

"We're all going together-"

"If that is the case, then I suggest you board your aircraft and leave at once. We will not be tolerating rule breakers. Alessandro is the only one needed."

"Say I go alone, what happens to them?" I questioned.

"They will be allowed to explore the premises as you attend the meeting."

"Survivor-"

"There's no need to use code names, Angela Ziegler, we know who you all are," Symmetra cut in.

"Alessandro," Angela continued, clearly annoyed. "What do you want to do?"

"I'll go alone, get this meeting out of the way, then we can meet up and discuss it," I replied.

Fareeha looked like she wanted to argue, but Angela hooked their arms together and tugged her away. Half the guards peeled off, giving them an armed escort...although I felt that they weren't there to protect the two heroes, just to keep an eye on them. I sighed and turned to the woman in front of me, eyeing the other guards.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Symmetra said, smiling politely. "There is no time to waste."

I nodded as she turned around and began to walk. After a few moments, I followed. The guards tagged along of course, always at a respectable distance...a distance that, if they fired at me, I wouldn't be able to stop them. Still, I didn't let myself get bothered by this. If they wanted to capture me they could have done so the moment we touched down, so I had to assume we were safe.

"As you can see, this is a huge facility," Satya said, sounding a bit proud. "It has served as the center of Vishkar's operations on this side of the world for years."

"It's impressive," I admitted as we walked inside. I paused for a second, just to take it all in. The building was a perfect mix of traditional Hindu architecture and the light, filled with decorations, beautiful lighting, and yet somehow it still managed to look professional. Maybe all the men and women rushing around with briefcases and suits helped give me that impression. "Who made this? Like, the design."

"I did," Symmetra answered contently. "I was in charge of the entire project, and most of my career has taken place here."

"Where'd you spend the rest of your career?" I questioned, wanting some information. Anything might help.

"In Brazil," She said, sounding bitter. We passed through an arch and appeared outside, a small, sleek car was waiting for us. The two of us entered, alone, and the car sped off.

"Oh, the place your people enslaved?"

"We did no such thing," Satya answered, although she sounded...unsure?

"Course not, that's why the fought against you guys and ended up kicking you out of Brazil. Which also happened to be the only place in South America Vishkar was located-"

"I apologize but you are not here to have a discussion with me about the controversy some people see in our work," Satya interrupted. "You are here for an interview with the head of Vishkar, that is all."

We remained silent for the rest of our brief travel. It only took a few minutes through the high tech, beautiful properties of Vishkar to reach the central building. The biggest of all the "castles" that Vishkar had here. When we got off the car Symmetra led me down a large path, filled with people. Of course, guards flanked every possible road and stood in every possible corner. Weird thing is, they all seemed to be focusing on me...  
I did my best to ignore the guards and relax as we walked inside the building, through an endless amount of hallways. I tried to keep my tracks but after the sixth turn, I was utterly lost. Satya, with the confidence and authority of a combat veteran, walked the halls to guide me. Everyone moved out of our way, a good amount of people gave her nods or quick words in her native language. I was starting to feel worried, wondering where we were actually going, when she finally stopped by a door and opened it for me.  
"He's waiting for you," She stated.

"He?"

"You'll see."

I sighed and walked inside, carefully, keeping an ear out. But there wasn't much in here, which struck me as odd. This office was small and, well, kinda lame. Some seats on the sides, mahogany desk and big mahogany chair in the center, behind those a shelf with different awards. It reminded me of the stereotypical principal's office in American movies.

"Uh...where's the person I'm meeting?" I muttered.

"Right here," An American voice answered. A virtual face was suddenly projected from the desk, scaring the crap out of me. I jumped back bumped into Satya, who must have followed me in and closed the door. Above the desk was the light blue face of an old man. Bold head, white skin, clear eyes, wearing a suit. He chuckled and shook his head. "Apologies, I didn't mean to startle you."

"You...you're American?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"All of this...and that is your first question?" He sighed, not in an unfriendly way though. "Please, take a seat. We have much to discuss."  
I did as he said, sitting in front of the desk on a spare chair. Symmetra stood behind the hologram, standing up and staring straight ahead. The old man smiled at me, but I just stared at him.

"So, what'd you want me here for?"

"Ah, straight to the point I see," He answered. "If you would allow a question, what did you think of our facilities?"

"They're...impressive," I admitted, easing on the chair. "Incredible, to be honest. Making this place out of pure light."

"It's a blessing, one we hope to spread throughout the world someday," He continued. "But to do that we need talented people, such as Satya here."

"And you're telling me this cause...?" I already had an idea, despite my question, I had a pretty good idea of what he wanted from me.

"You wanted me to cut to the chase, so I'll do just that," He replied, his smile disappeared. "I believe your talents could be incredibly useful for the Vishkar movement, and I believe they can be improved upon and used to a better extent for more people."

"Gee, boss, don't try to make me sound like a tool you want to buy-"

"I'm serious," He interrupted. "You have talent, you've helped people. It is my strong belief that here at Vishkar you could accomplish even more."  
"And it's my strong belief that Vishkar has abused of people before, and isn't worth my time," I answered, maybe a bit rudely.

But I was annoyed, no, I was mad. These people enslaved the good folk of Brazil, people like Lucio, and they wanted me to help them? The thought of helping these corrupt people made my blood boil-

"I understand you may have, um, misconceptions about our company," The man said. "But I assure you we aren't the monster some would have you think."

"You enslaved the Brazilians-"

"We brought them resources, homes, cracked down on crime," He countered. "The thanks we earned was hatred. You should know how this works, our own country has had this problem."

"The U.S?" I questioned, confused.

"Every time America went overseas to help, the world allowed it at first, then the world hated Americans," He explained, visibly angry. "Blamed us for the wars and crimes, when we had gone to end those. Then America leaves, and they get blamed again!"

"Might want to calm down, your patriotism is showing," I murmured. He opened his mouth to answer, but thought better of it and went quiet.

"Anyhow, when the Brazilians showed that they wanted us to leave we respected their decision and left."

"They had to fight you-"

"They didn't have to fight us, or even protest, they could have requested their government to speak to us like any civilized people would. They attacked us, and we left. We had every reason to retaliate but we left. As you can see, we didn't oppress them, we respected them even after they hurt us."

"Sir, you must not get angry-"

"Yes, I am very aware of that, thank you, Miss Vaswani," He said, speaking over her. "I must go, I have important business to attend to. Please, finish the meeting here with Mr. Rivero."

She nodded stiffly and took a seat behind the desk as the hologram shut off. I sighed, leaning back on the chair. Now that he was gone I felt better, but why did he tick me off so much? Something about him threw me off, got me tense...

"Not even a goodbye," I finally said. "How professional."

"He's a very busy man, you'll have to excuse his sudden absence," Satya explained. "And your attitude wasn't adequate either, Mr. Rivero."  
"Are we done here?" I asked, leaning forward. "Can I go now?"

"No, we have a proposition," Satya stated. "We would like you to remain here, with us, for a few days. Only so you can see for yourself what we are like, have the...how did he put it? Have the Vishkar Experience."

"You mean, we get to stay, right? Angela, Fareeha and me?"

"No, only you."

This made me go silent. It definitely sounded like a bad idea to stay here, in an unknown territory by myself...but on the other hand, we did want to recruit Symmetra. How else could I do that if not by staying and spending time with her? I still didn't know how Vishkar had found me and everything points that they are not to be trusted...  
But we need new members. I sighed and stood up.

"Fine, I'll stick around," I said. Symmetra, for once, gave an honest smile and nodded at me.

"I assure you, you will not regret this decision."

 **OK Y'ALL SO-**

 **It's been a hella long time, I know, let me explain. First off: Finals, last couple weeks of school I had finals so I did NOT work at all on this. Second off: Vacation. I went with my family on a trip the last two weeks as well, got back a few days ago. Third off: Writing, I wrote this damn chapter three times and didn't like it. Hell, I still am iffy about it but this is the final draft. I know I know, it's not that great for a month's work but I swear I'll make up for it! Fourth: To make up for it, I got some NEW fanfics you guys might like~ All Overwatch of course, I'll post them soon and let you know.**

 **Just, sorry guys for taking so long. It's not like I can warn you whenever I'm gone...or can I? I've set up a Twitter realizing it's good for giving updates on story progress, hiatus, etc. Follow me and there'll be a constant flow of updates from "new fanfiction in progress" to "new chapter for New Hero" and so on, plus links to other pages I post on ;0 That aside, you can get updates from stuff like YT videos, AMV's, photos (I'm kinda getting into photography) and so on. Lots of cool stuff my dudes.**

 **I gotta say I haven't forgotten you guys, and I've read the reviews, thank you so much for your support even when I was gone, it's the one thing that kept me kicking and had me make this chapter! See you soon with chapter 27!**

 **Twitter: /NeppyTheDork**


	27. Chapter 27: Vishkar's Training

_Shut it down now, or I'll slit your throat,_ Survivor whispered.

 _"You have five seconds to stop firing this thing or I'll shoot your friend in the head. After another five minutes, I'll shoot you in the leg. Then the other, then your good arm, then the back, then I'll grab my knife and get creative."_ Survivor threatened, using his most menacing voice.

 _"Do it now, or I'll kill you. Then your friend,"_ Survivor said, his voice barely a whisper. The man glared at him angrily and Alessandro sighed. _"I don't have time for this."_

Sombra was watching all this, and more, on her holo-screen. Right above the palm of her hand, it shone softly in the small room she called home. She wasn't dressed for work, no, she was wearing sweat pants and a tank top, laying in her bed. So why was she working?

Interest. This wasn't for Talon at all, this was for _her._ Something in that boy interested her, called to her, something she couldn't see quite yet but that might be useful so Sombra had decided to find everything she could about him. The video of him inside the giant turret in Russia disappeared, replaced by him fighting Sombra herself. She flinched as she saw him shoot her again, tearing through his own body in the process, then it changed again to a camera feed of him at the American military base. He spouted some curse and jumped off the cliff, then it switched once more to the camera feed of a Talon soldier. This clip was the most interesting, in Sombra's opinion. The first time anyone from Talon had contact with him, a regular boy with nothing but a pistol. Yet he _killed_ three soldiers. Sombra watched as he smiled up at the last soldier who had just shot him in the leg, the look in his eyes...

 _"Espera un momento..."_ The hacker muttered, rewinding part of the video.

She saw the soldier shoot him in the leg and frowned, then repeated the piece again. Then again. Then she slowed the clip down and replayed it. A smile appeared on her face and she started checking other clips for the same sign. Yes, there it was again, when he shot Sombra, and again when he pressed his knife against the man inside the giant turret.

"You have your mother's eyes," Sombra whispered with a devious smile.

/

 **Alessandro's POV**

"Mr. Rivero, your presence is requested at the plaza," A male, robotic voice said. I groaned and pulled the sheets over my head, curling into a ball. The bed was so comfortable and I was so warm...

"Ms. Vaswani is waiting for you," The voice insisted. I sighed and rolled onto my back, sitting up. The voice belonged to an Omnic. He only had the top half of his body and was floating. He also wore a suit. "Is there anything I may provide you with?"

"Yeah, uh, what's your name?" I murmured, rubbing my eyes.

"I am designated as unit X-248," He answered.

"No, no, your _name_ ," I corrected. "Not designation, makes it sound like you're a robot."

"...Sir, I _am_ a robot," He whispered.

"Robots don't have a conscience or a soul, you do," I countered. "I'm going to call you...Jake. How's that sound?"

"If you like, then so it shall be," Jake answered, but he sounded content with his new name. "Now what may I bring you?"

"I need some painkiller, if you would," I told him, rubbing my temples. The bed might have been comfortable, but I had slept terribly...

"Are you sick?"

"No, my head hurts."

"May I recommend-"

"Just the painkillers, please, I want to hurry up and get to Vaswani."

I stood up as Jake floated off, throwing the sheets aside. Vishkar had given me white pants and a t-shirt for sleeping, and now I saw a new pair of clothes on the coffee table next to me. When I picked them up I realized it was a white jumpsuit with a collar. Fashionable? No. Was I wearing it? Yes. With a sigh I closed my door and stripped, ready to change.

My room wasn't that bad, not at all. It was big enough for five people. Had a bathroom with a hot tub, bath, shower and everything you could want. One corner had a fridge stocked with food and treats (if the chocolate disappeared last night it wasn't me) and a king-sized bed in the middle. Tastefully decorated, light furniture here and there.

I was walking around, trying to figure out how this thing opened up when I caught myself in the mirror. Sure, I was naked and looking at myself isn't what I normally do but this time I was _surprised_. I wasn't ripped like Thor or Captain America, but I was muscular and looked tough, I looked good. Call me vain, but I had never been in such _good_ shape in my life. Muscular, tough, handsome even. I awkwardly flexed my arms and cracked a chuckle-

Then Jake came into the room.

 _"La puta que te pario,"_ I said under my breath, grabbing my jumpsuit and using it to cover my private area. Jake floated by as if nothing were wrong, put the medicine on my coffee table, then left. He paused at the door.

"Rest assured, I won't speak of this," Jake said, then he left and the door closed. My face was burning with embarrassment.

After that, I decided it'd be best to hurry to see Symmetra. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to see Jake for a few hours, I'd feel a bit too awkward. With my mind mostly on business, I put on the jumpsuit and walked out. As I expected, another floating Omnic servant was waiting there to lead me wherever I had to go. The two of us walked together in silence through the large hallways of the building until we entered another room. It resembled a food court, but fancier. Like a huge restaurant full of light or golden-looking furniture.

Symmetra was already seated at a table for two, with two plates of food as well. She was wearing the same clothing as yesterday however the color was changed to purple. I took my seat, thanked the Omnic, then faced her.

"Good morning, Mr. Rivero," She said pleasantly, but it sounded forced. "Sleep well?"

"Actually, no," I admitted nonchalantly, picking up the fork and knife. "What about you?"

"Was there something wrong with your accomodat-"

"What about you?" I cut in, meeting her eyes. She didn't seem annoyed, as I expected, she seemed a bit surprised.

"I suppose I am well rested, yes," She finally answered.

"Good," I said, smelling the food. _"Buen provecho_."

We had been served a good, old fashioned eggs bacon and toast. Now I don't know what cools Vishkar had but the food was _amazing._ If Symmetra expected me to talk to her than she was sorely disappointed because I was absorbed in my meal. A good half hour later I finally wiped my mouth and looked up, smiling. Symmetra stared at me with a condescending glare.

"What? Here at Vishkar, you don't eat like normal people?"

"Please, look around," She ordered.

I did and just now I realized the looks I was getting. Everyone here was obviously wealthy or powerful, or both. They looked at me with confusion, or anger, or downright disgust. I really wanted to stand up and yell at them, say something like _Hey you lose something over here!_ but instead, I forced my best smile and winked at them, causing more than one to roll their eyes or hiss something under their breath.

"Ok, people here are rich pricks. Understood," I muttered.

"Do not refer to the various clients and workers of Vishkar as _pricks,"_ Symmetra scolded. "They are merely educated."

"Please, I'm educated. I'm just not into all these stupid rich-people rules. Let me guess, they have to chew between thirty and fifty times, communicate to their waiter using the positions of their utensils and talk a hell of a lot?"

"How did you know-"

"Surprise, I did study that. Formal dining, not something most schools do," I admitted. "I think we should go."

"Yes, let us begin your training."

"Training?"

We were on a building heading to the training complex as Symmetra explained what was going on. As the name entails, the complex was for training new recruits. This was, of course, what Vishkar wanted me for. A recruit for their security forces, since plenty of bad guys, wanted what they had. I was supposed to help protect them or help protect the people they wanted to help.

"For example, Brazil," Symmetra said, looking straight ahead as the kart went on. "Had you been there, I'm sure you could have helped keep the situation under control."

"Oh really? Me? Over some high paid security advisor?"

"You have something very few of our people do," She said, although admitting this seemed to bug her a bit. "You understand what plenty of those people are going through, you understand their pain and their loss, you also know how to treat people. They respond to you."

"How would you know how I act with those people?" I muttered.

"We have our ways of knowing."

Again, the secrecy. I didn't feel like talking, and luckily I didn't have to anymore. Our kart stopped and the both of us got off, walking inside the beginning. Symmetra began giving me the details of the place.

"Built after the rest of the complex, it has been made to train more than soldiers. Our men have to understand how to survive every situation possible," She said. "The elements, enemies, animals, people with..unique abilities. They train for all that and more here."

"Must have cost a lot," I said pensively.

"A trillion American dollars, to be exact."

I would've commented on that if we hadn't entered the main part of the building. The second I saw it I lost my train of thought. The place was a huge, single room. Each training area was a square of glass with people inside and some observers outside. It was like each square was one of the virtual reality rooms, except there was one hundred of them. The inside was completely white as well, the only people wearing color were some of the spectators and of course the trainees.

"Is each square virtual reality?"

"What? No, of course not," Symmetra replied, giving me an odd look. "That technology is something no one in the world possesses...yet. Each room is designed to present one to three different challenges."

 _So Overwatch still has some aces up the sleeve_ , I thought as we walked through the halls. No one possessed that kind of system yet? Ha! We did.

"You will be practicing in here. I warn you, what you see here is not the sort of challenge you will endure, most of these trainees are below your level."

"Whatever you throw at me, I can handle it," I challenged, smirking.

"Then please." She stood next to a door that slid open. "Change into your armor and show me."

I winked at her, just to annoy her, and walked inside. The room was small with a single bench and, on top of it, my old clothes and armor. We had brought it onto the ship before Angela and Fareeha flew off, and after I fought basically forced Angela to let me stay here. All of it washed, polished and tuned up apparently. I smiled widely and gladly changed, feeling much better now that my stuff was back in my hands.

"I'm ready!" I yelled confident someone could hear me.

I must have been right because another door slid open, leading into a pure white room. I walked in with all the confidence of the room, hearing the door shut behind me. The glass was actually a one-way mirror because I couldn't see outside of the room. My rifle was up, but a quick check showed the room was empty.

"Well?!" I yelled. "I'm ready!"

 _Click._

"...shit."

I side-stepped a spray of bullets that came from the wall, then jumped over a second one, then a third. Each burst came faster and faster, forcing me to stay on my feet with no chance to stop. After the sixth burst I spun and fired at the wall, but my bullets didn't hit my attacker, they merely bounced off. There wasn't any attacker, it was just the walls firing at me.

How did I win this?

Despite being constantly shot at, each time faster and faster, I forced myself to take a deep breath and think clearly. I had learned a lot from my friends back at base, and as Angela always said: Maybe violence wasn't the answer.

I got on one knee and activated my armor, letting bullets ping off of it, hoping if I stayed still the bullets would stop. It didn't work, my armor was rapidly being chipped away by the machine-gun-like fire. What other option did I have? Violence, peace, fight, flight-

Flight.

I looked around the room once more for an escape. I didn't see any but I did see something else: The roof had little grooves, too small for my entire hand...but maybe enough for my fingers. I threw my gun to the ground and ran to a wall, kicking off and onto the roof. It was hard, but I had planned it right. My hands gripped the tiny grooves and I swung my legs to the roof, also using them to try and hold on.

It worked, after a few more bursts the firing stopped and there was a pleasant _ping._ I swung down and landed on feet, smiling.

"Ok, I see how this is going to be." I picked up my rifle and reloaded it. "Let's go."

It was a mistake to get overconfident, I realized, as the wall across from me opened up and water flooded in. Now, it didn't slowly start to fill the room as one might expect, it was like a tsunami. I braced myself and yet it still slammed me against the wall, smashing against me furiously, going down my throat. I felt the wall behind me begin to move and, in the last second, grabbed one of the grooves at the top again. I could barely breathe now, and soon enough there wouldn't be any air to breathe. The water seemed to be trying to drag me away. Did I have to let go? No, they wouldn't make me try to escape twice in a row. There had to be another answer. I took a deep breath and duck my head underwater, looking for anything I needed.

Nothing, there was nothing...but the water felt smoother underneath. Suddenly I had memories of my trips to Uruguay, where my dad was born. We'd go to the beach and the waves were rough for a little kid like me. Dad was always worried because I'd dive underwater to avoid them but I was always ok, going underneath saved me from getting hit full force.

I went back up to get air, only to realize the room was completely filled. My lungs were already starting to burn. I ignored the feeling and slung my rifle across my back, pressing my feet against the roof. I waited a second, gathering my courage, and then let go and pushed myself downward. As I thought, the water stopped pushing me as I reached the floor. I began to swim forward, where the water was coming from, and when I reached the edge the wall suddenly reappeared and the water disappeared, dumping me on the ground. I slowly stood up, coughing, gagging, wet but very much alive.

I had passed. I could tell.

After that, I was nothing but business. The tests began going faster. One test had me in a gunfight with virtually no cover and lots of enemies. I passed it easily. Another exercise put me with faulty equipment, my gun and armor would randomly activate and deactivate, forcing me to adapt to that. Then the room began filling with gas. That one was tough, but I managed to beat it as well. I did at least a dozen tests, each harder than the last until I was sure a few hours had passed. I was hungry, tired, and quite annoyed at whoever was tormenting me.

"Final testing phase, this one was designed specifically for you," An unrecognizable voice said.

"What do you mean specifically for me?" I questioned.

 _Ssssss._

Something was making that sound, was hissing, all around me. The air around me seemed distorted and I quickly smelled gas. Gas was coming out of the walls and causing the distortions, but why? I had already passed this test.

It took me a second but I finally saw it. A flame, a tiny flame.

/

 **Symmetra's POV**

I frowned, watching the boy as he quickly deduced everything that was happening. After the first test, he had performed excellently. Most of the people here, rich clients eager to see what kind of soldiers Vishkar could provide them, had dismissed the boy at first. The brute who didn't know proper manners, they said, not worth their time. Yet as he passed test after test he a crowd had very quickly gathered outside the glass, everyone was eager and later impressed by how he passed each test.

"You designed all these tests, correct?" Someone asked me.

"Indeed, I am the creator of the training program here."

"Then could you tell me what is the trick here? He already passed this one."

That was the problem. No tests were supposed to be repeated, Alessandro should have been done. That's when, at the same time as him, I noticed the small flame and felt my heart skip a beat. Fire suddenly engulfed every inch of the room, blinding us viewers. After a few seconds, I heard him screaming. He wasn't defiant, or angry, he was in pain. His screams of pure pain tore through the hall. It was the most terrible thing I had ever heard, and after Brazil, I didn't think I could experience something worse.

After a full minute, the flames disappeared, with his screams, everyone slowly turned back to the glass. It brought me great disgust to see that no one appeared concerned, they were all expectant and curious, waiting for whatever was there.

The grime on the glass slowly began to disappear, revealing the boy on his knees in the middle of the room, weakly holding his weapon with one hand. He suddenly got onto his feet, surprising everyone, and dragged himself to the glass with his head down. He stopped right in front of me, then slowly looked up.

"What...what did you do..." He asked, his voice scorched and in pain.

I gasped and covered my mouth, staring at him with horror. His armor was completely burned, nearly melded onto him, his clothes were nearly gone and his face...God his face. He was completely burned and blistered, every inch of him.

"I did not make this..." I muttered, unable to think of anything else. "I would never do this."

"Satya!" He yelled, pounding his fist on the glass once, then twice.

He yelled in pain then fell to his knees, grasping at the glass, punching it and much to my shock _healing_ as he did so. He was staring right at me, his breaths growing steadier, his fists weaker. Besides his armor, still melded to him, he now looked perfectly healthy. Not even the slightest scar or burn. His eyes seemed to shine...and then he collapsed onto his side, still breathing.

"Oh my, that is his power? What is his name?" A woman asked.

"Back off, I'm going to hire him-"

"Stop your bickering!" I said, louder than I ever spoke to clients, turning to glare at them. I pressed a button on the wall, activating the intercom. "Send immediate medical attention to the training grounds, priority number one. I require our best doctors to attend this patient."

With that I turned around and walked through the group, feeling an anger I hadn't felt since my mission in Brazil. I didn't understand what had happened here but I required answers. Someone was going to provide them.

/

 **Sombra's POV**

The hacker laughed with delight as she saw what was happening to Survivor. Not that she relished in others pain (although it did feel like a suitable revenge) but because she had confirmed her theory, thanks to Vishkar.

"So you _are_ like your mother. I'm going to put you to good use soon," She muttered to herself, laughing a bit more.

 **That's it for this chapter! And right before I leave for my trip too~**

 **Yeah, that's right guys. Tomorrow I'm going on a trip to Spain! Amazing, right? Anyways, this means I won't have my laptop for two weeks :c**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know it came out better than I expected at first, to be honest. Don't forget to fav, follow and REVIEW! Because what you guys have to say is always the most important bit~**

 **And, as promised, I do have another fic started. It's short, it's widowtracer. When I return home I'll continue this one, the widowtracer AND begin uploading a third ;D Down below are the links to the new one:**

 **Tumblr: NeppyTheDork**

 **This webpage:** **s/12596041/1/Anchor-Widowtracer**

 **And, if you want updates on my stories or other cool things, follow me on Twitter! Thanks for being awesome guys, see you in two weeks~!**

 **Twitter: NeppyTheDork**

 **Edit: (Links are being wonky, so I'm not sure they'll work.)**


	28. Chapter 28: Criminal Organization

I was burning, Christ Almighty, I was burning alive.

This had all been a trick of some sort, I had been a fool to trust Vishkar so easily, to think I could handle being alone in unknown territory and now I would burn for it. _Literally._

I screamed again, my eyes flying open, and I realized I wasn't burning. No, I was looking at the roof of my posh room, laying on my soft bed, tucked in neatly. My body ached but, besides that, I felt fine. What about the fire? It had felt so real...

With a groan I rolled off the bed and onto my feet, letting the blankets fall to the floor, and I dashed into the bathroom to look at myself in the mirror. I had expected to see- Well, I'd rather not describe what I expected, but instead, I got nothing. I was perfectly fine, not a single mark on my face. I was wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, all white of course, and a quick check showed the rest of my body was also unmarked. In fact, I'd say I was glowing with health.

"Jake?" I called unsurely. "Jake!"

"You require assistance?" The Omnic's robotic voice called as he entered.

"I...I need help getting back to bed," I admitted, embarrassed.

It was true, my tiny burst of energy when I woke up two minutes ago had disappeared. My aching increased, my body shaked, I could hardly stand up. What the hell had happened to me? Thankfully, Jake said nothing as he entered the bathroom and slung one of my arms around him, slowly and patiently helping me walk back to the main room and onto the bed. When I was finally settled, I spoke.

"What the hell happened?" I whispered, almost afraid to know the answer.

"..."

"Jake-"

"There was a malfunction in the training system," He cut in, unsurely. "Your entire section was burned, turned on fire, with you inside it."

So it wasn't just a dream. "But I just saw myself, I looked fine. Not, well, burnt."

"Somehow, mister Rivero, you healed. I'm unsure if anyone has a proper explanation as of yet, but you healed in less than a minute and passed out. Miss Vaswani then had Vishkar's best doctors remove your armor and clothing, which had practically melted onto you."

"Where is Vaswani right now?" I demanded, my voice cracking.

"She informed me, in the event that you may ask, that she is going to find out what happened. She is deeply sorry that this has happened, and understands if you wish to leave immediately."

I would have been mad if, well, if it didn't sound like she truly felt sorry. Had she been another rich prick, a businesswoman with her own agenda and a disregard for other people, she would have tried to convince me to stay. Yet here Jake was, telling me she would let me go without questioning it. Perhaps she wasn't that bad after all? And that reminded me, I was still supposed to recruit her. I hadn't found a good moment to bring that up since we arrived.

"Jake, please get me some food. Make sure it's cold, I've had enough heat for one lifetime," I requested. "And after I eat, I want my clothes."

One thing I didn't believe in were accidents, not after everything I'd been through. Something was wrong here, even if Satya wasn't involved, and after my meal, I planned to figure out exactly what. Jake wasted no time bringing me a large platter of food (he brought kiwi's, bless his soul) and I began to dig in. I didn't care for manners or cleanliness, I just shoved it down my throat and soon emptied the plate. I quickly got dressed (jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt. All made for heroes, of course) and opened the door to leave.

"Sir, I was told you weren't allowed to exit the room unless it was to leave us...shall I inform Miss Vaswani you are leaving?" Jake said, floating in front of me with both his hands tucked behind his back.

"No, Jake, I need your help. I'm going to do some...exploring, but no one can know I left."

"Sir, the security system here-"

"Is obsolete," I finished. "For some reason, Vishkar has no virtual security throughout most of the building, only guards which I can avoid. Why? I don't know."

"You have a sharp eye, Mister Rivero," Jake said. "I'm still not allowed to let you go."

"First off, call me Alessandro. I'm your friend, Jake, not your boss. Second off, you're gonna have to knock me out if you plan to stop me." I raised my fists, to prove my point, but we both knew I wasn't in any condition to fight.

"I...am your friend?" He questioned, his head tilting slightly to the right as if he were unsure of this.

"You've treated me right, you've been very helpful, and you're definitely not my servant bot," I said, smiling a bit. "I get this is your, uh, job. But I wouldn't mind calling you my friend."

"I- I wouldn't mind that either," He answered quickly, his voice overjoyed. "Thank you, Alessandro."

It wasn't hard to leave after that. He promised to tell them I was asleep and that I had ordered him to not let anyone in, under no circumstances at all, until I said so. That's how I found myself walking around the grounds of Vishkar's headquarters, feeling entirely out of place. Much like before, people rushed back and forth in the grand halls. Businessmen, scientists, more soldiery types. I ignored them all, pretending I knew where I was going, pretending I had a purpose. I had learned at a young age that having confidence makes it easier to go unnoticed and, surely enough, it worked this time. I had crossed half the grounds in twenty minutes and the guards didn't bat an eye.

"Excuse me, you!" Someone called. I turned towards a woman, blonde, old, expensive suit and a briefcase. I wasn't sure she meant me, but she made a beeline right for me so I guess she had. "You look remarkable!"

"Uh...thanks?" I offered, raising an eyebrow.

"I saw your performance test yesterday," She clarified, smiling kindly. "It was outstanding."

Now that she mentioned it I did recognize her! She was one of the several people in suits watching the other candidates, wondering who they wanted to hire, she must have seen what happened to me then. I didn't like her, not one bit, but maybe she could help me...

"I'm glad you think so," I answered good-mannerly. "And you are?"

"Miss Sally Jackson, but please, call me Sally," She replied, offering her hand. I gave her a firm handshake.

"Another American," I commented, feigning surprise. "Always a nice thing to see. What brings you here Sally?"

"I work for a company that is interested in hiring...outstanding individuals," She explained, her eyes looking around the room. She shifted her weight nervously. "It's classified if I'm honest."

"So that's why you were watching me yesterday? Have some sort of job offer for me?" I questioned, my smile growing. I made sure I oozed confidence, like I was perfectly fine with this, perfectly willing to partake in the business these people came here for.

"Precisely!" She beamed, falling for my act. "Someone with your talents would be incredibly useful, Mister Rivero. You see we specialize in-"

"I'm so sorry but I'm a bit short on time," I interrupted, my smile turning apologetic as I scratched the back of my head. "I was actually needed somewhere but it's nice to know some people are interested in me. Is there a way I could contact you later on?"

"Of course! Here, take this." Her free hand began darting across her pockets, looking for something. Finally, she dug out a small calling card and handed it to me. "Please, call whenever you like."

"And one more thing," I added, shoving the calling card in my pocket. "The training rooms I was in yesterday, where were they at exactly? I can't find my way back."

Half a minute later I had gotten precise instructions to the training rooms and had waved Sally Jackson goodbye. As before, I walked confidently down the halls in the directions she told me. I still felt weak, but not weak enough that I needed help walking. Besides, this was the only moment to do my little "exploration" mission. Everyone that cared would probably assume I was still recovering.

A few minutes later I began to recognize where I was going. The doors that led into the training room were wide open, with no guards standing watch, and after a quick check to make sure no one was paying attention I walked right on in. I had seen something before Satya showed me where I'd train, a metal door with a sign somewhere here...

" _Ahi estas_ ," I muttered after turning a corner and spotting it. I walked up to it and knocked three times.

"You're here already? I still have one hour left on my shift," A man said, opening the door. He froze, obviously surprised to see me, and I smiled right at him.

"Is this the little boy's room?" I asked.

"What the-"

Before he could react I jumped and punched him as hard as I could I the nose. He stumbled and fell back, out cold...and I let out a sharp yell of pain and crumpled to my knees when I landed, holding my hand. Yeah, I was definitely _not_ ready to be punching stuff just yet. After a few moments to recompose myself I stood up and walked in, closing the door behind me.

Just as I thought, this room was an information center, probably from the training area. The entire room was filled with a giant computer tower, kind of like those supercomputers you sometimes see in movies, and in front of me was a single monitor made from light with a chair. I took my seat and cracked my knuckles, completely unsure of what to do next.

I hadn't thought I'd make it this far in this condition, and now that I was here I wasn't sure what my goal was. Found out who burned me? Yes. Maybe found out Vishkar's dirty secrets? Sure, why not. But how exactly would I do that?

"Focus," I muttered, my fingers hovering over the keys. "You're not from the last century, you can search through a computer."

It was awkward at first, I clumsily tried to figure out where the important info was saved and such, but soon enough my fingers were flying across the keyboard with practiced ease. It was just like writing one of my stories, I thought, just let yourself focus and forget everything else. I smirked, thinking about Sombra for a second. I felt much like her, a hacker of sorts, even though I wasn't really hacking anything. My eyes quickly scanned over files I revealed, then closed that tab and opened another, repeating the process over and over again. It was simple, the files all seemed to be stored here and they were organized in alphabetical order. I just had to go through them all.

Suddenly, I had an idea. I scrolled down, skipping a good chunk of the alphabet and probably a majority of the files.

 _Tahiti._

 _Taco Bell._

 _Talon._

 _Taxes._

My heart began to pick up speed. I hesitated, almost afraid of what I would see, and clicked on the Talon folder. Inside were three documents, only three.

 _Doomfist._

 _Targets._

 _Project Widowmaker._

Being the person I was, my first instinct was to see who are what the targets were. The important thing was making sure everyone was safe. I double-clicked the document and it opened up, just as neat and organized as everything before it.

 _Alessandro Rivero. Priority Beta. Capture._

 _Soldier 76. Priority Alpha. Kill._

 _Ana Amari. Priority Alpha. Kill._

 _Volskaya. Priority Charlie. Kill._

The names went on and on. I recognized the names of my friends from Overwatch, but plenty of others made no sense to me. Perhaps past members? Other people from around the world? I felt my heart racing as I read over the list one more time to make sure I hadn't missed anything. So many questions suddenly burst inside of me and I wanted them all to be answered this same instant. Ana Amari was supposed to be dead already. Who was Soldier 76? Volskaya? Why the hell did they want to capture me and why was I their second most important target, seeing that Beta normally meant secondary objective?

I sighed and went back, clicking on the Doomfist file. I had heard of Doomfist. Overwatch and defeated him back in the "good old days". Winston out-punched him I think. The document loaded and I narrowed my eyes in anger at what I saw. It was a diagram of his high-security prison, with extraction and rendezvous points, plus notes on where the guards were and when they made their rounds. Talon must be planning to break him out...

Finally, I went and double clicked on the "Project Widowmaker" file. I admit this had me more curious than the rest. Would I learn a weakness? What happened to her? What would I see?

The file loaded and, much to my surprise, it was bigger than the other two combined. Lots of random scientific information I couldn't really understand, although some of it made sense such as the "heart calibration". Angela had told me once that Widowmaker's skin was blue because lack of blood flow, I could assume from this that they had messed with her heart to slow the blood. Although how she survived the process was beyond me. My eyes kept scanning, skipping the three paragraphs dedicated to what gear Widowmaker should use, and finally landing on a video. I clicked it.

"What is your name?" Reaper asked a woman in front of him. The woman was chained to a wall, her limbs spread out.

"Amelie, you little-"

Without hesitation he gripped her lower leg, stabbing his claws into the flesh and making her cry out in pain.

"What. Is. Your. Name." He repeated.

"My name is Amelie," She replied defiantly. Again, he stabbed her.

This continued for awhile until the scene chained. It was from someone's point of view, they were walking down a hall, talking about the success of something I didn't understand. Too much science. He entered a room and I gasped.

Amelie was in there, stuck in a tube twice her size, tied up and with tons of cables and tubes plugged into her, floating in the clear water. Her eyes were wide and full of fear, her mouth was covered, probably to give her oxygen, and she was completely nude. That's not what caught my eyes though, what caught my eyes attention were the dozens upon dozens of scars across her body, of all shapes and kinds. Yet she still wasn't Widowmaker, she was Amelie. Her hair was lighter, nearly white. She had fair skin and golden eyes. Beautiful, but not in a deadly way.

"How are we doing today, Widowmaker?" The man of the camera asked, then continued without waiting for an answer. "Today is a big day, y'know? You'll be completed. Soon we'll send you home to your husband."

At this, Amelie began thrashing wildly. I heard muffled cursing and screaming, judging from the thick rubber that latched her breathing device to her mouth she must have tried to drown herself before.

"Give it a rest, will you? You should have known since you got your scars that this was going to happen, you weren't getting out of here in one piece."

There was a pleasant _ding_ and suddenly the water turned a light shade of red. Amelie's expression turned into one of pure terror and pain, something I had never seen or even felt before, she began thrashing wildly and her skin began morphing between my eyes, changing-

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

The video suddenly closed. My jaw dropped in surprise and I grabbed the sides of the monitor, wondering what had happened. Then there was another pleasant _ding_ and a new file appeared on the screen, all by itself.

 _Hola, amigo. ;)_

"This is not going to be good..." I muttered. I double clicked this file, noticing the others had disappeared.

 _Look behind._

I sighed, slowly raising my hands and turning around.

"What's up Som-"

Symmetra was standing there, looking extremely surprised.

"-bra...?" I raised an eyebrow, confused. "What are you doing here? Shit, are you with them?!"

I didn't wait for an answer, stumbling down between the processing towers, leaning against them lest I collapse once more. Symmetra followed me, blocking the only exit.

"I don't know what you mean by them," Symmetra said, her face stone cold serious. "But you've betrayed our trust here at Vishkar, please, come with me."

"I betrayed you!" I yelled, putting a hand to my chest and huffing with fake surprise. " _You_ _burned me alive_!"

"I was informed that was not Vishkar's doing, someone has infiltrated our systems. I came here, assuming the perpetrator was gathering information. Yet here I find you."

"Wait wait hold up." I just now take notice of the odd weapon in her hand, backing up another step. "Infiltrated how? Digitally? Say...a hacker?"

"...Yes, how did you know?" She questioned.

"Talon, the terrorist organization, is working with Vishkar. They had several files on these servers which Talon's hacker, Sombra, deleted while I was going through them. Look at the screen, she even left me a message."

Symmetra seemed hesitant to even take her eyes off of me, but I lifted one hand (I still needed the other one to keep myself up) and gave her a pleading stare. She finally took a step back to the machine and scrutinized the screen.

"Why do you lie when nothing can come from it?" She finally said, sounding confused. "What was the point?"

"What do you mean lie? It's right there!"

"The screen is empty."

I couldn't help myself. I stumbled forward and grabbed onto the chair (startled Symmetra at the sudden movement and probably almost getting myself shot) and looked at the screen. Sure enough, it was blank. Sombra must have deleted the little message she left me.

"I swear to every god that I never believed in there was a message, Sombra hacked the system, she deleted her message just like the other files." I turned to Symmetra, defiant. "You have to believe me. She's in it with Vishkar, Talon is with Vishkar."

"You cannot prove this," She countered, although she sounded hesitant for some reason. "Please, come with me peacefully. I'll have you locked in your room until we decide what all this is."

"It is what it looks like, I was snooping," I admitted, raising my one hand again in a peaceful gesture. "Snooping because I knew something was wrong here, and I was right. Talon is with Vishkar. They had me on a list of targets, it- it said capture! Obviously, you're not part of this, you gotta believe me."

"Why are you telling me all this? Say I do believe you, what do you gain from this?" She demanded, stepping closer to me, her eyes suddenly fierce. "You come and everything goes out of order, everything becomes so confusing, my work was meant for _harmony_."

"This confusion started with me burning, and who did that?" I countered.

"The hacker-"

"Who is working with Vishkar," I ended. "As for what I gain, well that's simple. I gain you. Satya, Overwatch wants to recruit you. That's why I came here, I never had the intention to work for Vishkar at all. I just wanted to see if I could talk you into coming with us."

"I will not trust the word of a stranger and criminal who was just caught illegally going through Vishkar's sensitive files-"

"You work for a criminal organization!" I yelled back, definitely angry now. "Don't act like Vishkar hasn't done a lot of shady shit! I don't know much about you, Satya, and to be completely honest I wanted to slap that condescending look off your face a couple times-"

"Why are you telling me that?"

"-but if Overwatch deems its time and agents necessary to recruit you then...then you must not be a bad person. I trust you to make the right decision, so think about everything this company has done and make the right decision."

"Very well," She answered, holstering the weapon. "Come with me so I may escort you to your room. Show me how much trust you have in your colleagues and me."

Oh, that made my blood boil. She was still going to do what she was told...but I made no sarcastic or angry remarks, I didn't say a word to convince her she was wrong. There was nothing else I could do right now, so I did my best to not fall down as I walked out of the room, slowly making my way to my own quarters with Satya always nearby.


End file.
